


If Everything Were Different, How Different Would Things Be?

by Judopixie



Category: Ghost of Tsushima (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Because These Boys Deserve A Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Eventual Jin/OC, F/M, Fix-It, Full spoilers, Judge Me, M/M, Major Character Injury, Many Kendo References, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Period-Typical Homophobia, Poison, we die like samurai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:46:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judopixie/pseuds/Judopixie
Summary: “You’re leaving?” Ryuzo asked sleepily.“I can’t be seen sneaking out of your room,” Jin said, kissing him gently before pulling on his clothes.Ryuzo watched him dress without rising, but as Jin made for the shoji he stood hurriedly, catching Jin’s wrist and pulling him close for a warm, deep kiss.“Jin,” Ryuzo started, resting their foreheads together.Jin’s heart picked up, hoping he knew what Ryuzo was about to say.“I… Good luck.” He finished, and Jin sagged in disappointment.~~~AU where Ryuzo becomes one of Jin's kashindan, and after that everything changes.ORThe AU where I went to great lengths to try and give Ghost of Tsushima a happy yet realistic ending, because goddamnit these guys deserve a happy ending.
Relationships: Ryuzo/Jin Sakai
Comments: 17
Kudos: 122





	1. Maki-Waza

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was HEAVILY inspired by all of manic_intent's fics in the fandom, which I've been reading incessantly and absolutely adore.   
> Hope you all like it, please comment with any recommendations (because unlike my usual style I'm actually posting as I write)!

Chapter 1

Maki-Waza

Crickets chirruped in the lazy heat of the summer’s night. It was far too hot of a night to share so close a space, but Jin was curled around him with his head on Ryuzo’s shoulder, and Ryuzo didn’t have the heart to push him away.

“What will happen tomorrow, do you think?” Jin asked softly.

“Well,” Ryuzo said slowly. “Yamato will probably beat the shit out of Kosei, just on principle. Takeshi and Kazuo, I think they’ll be evenly matched, could go either way-”

“I meant with us.”

Ryuzo sighed, and pressed a kiss to the top of Jin’s head. “I know you did.”

“So? What do you think will happen?”

Ryuzo lay in silence for a while, thinking about all the lords he’d invited and not told Jin about because the idiot would insist on going easy on him so Ryuzo could have a better chance.

_Maybe he should let you win._ Ryuzo thought. _He’s the_ jitō’s _nephew, he’ll be fine regardless._

But no, they’d both trained equally hard for this, it was just bad luck that Lord Nagao had selected them to compete together. And if he was honest with himself, he wanted to know he’d beaten one of the best swordsmen in Tsushima, if not Japan, in full combat.

“I think…” Ryuzo began at length. “That we have to fight, and one of us will have to lose. But that doesn’t have to mean that this will change.”

Jin looked up at him, those ebony dark eyes full of uncertainty. “Promise?” he said softly.

“I promise.” Ryuzo kissed Jin’s hair again, inhaling the sweet scent of the bath water.

“I love you…” Jin said softly, tucking his head back onto Ryuzo’s chest.

Ryuzo froze, his fingers tangled in the hair he’d worked loose from Jin’s topknot. He resumed the gentle caresses in Jin’s hair, but the silence stretched on, Ryuzo not knowing how to respond, and faint hurt seeping from Jin’s very being.

It was only when Jin’s breathing had slowed and evened out that Ryuzo found the courage to whisper ‘I love you too’ into Jin’s hair.

***

It was first light when Jin woke, Ryuzo still asleep on his futon. He could have happily stayed there for hours, but people would be up soon, so he wriggled out of the larger man’s embrace just as he started to stir.

“You’re leaving?” Ryuzo asked sleepily.

“I can’t be seen sneaking out of your room,” Jin said, kissing him gently before pulling on his clothes.

Ryuzo watched him dress without rising, but as Jin made for the _shoji_ he stood hurriedly, catching Jin’s wrist and pulling him close for a warm, deep kiss.

“Jin,” Ryuzo started, resting their foreheads together.

Jin’s heart picked up, hoping he knew what Ryuzo was about to say.

“I… Good luck.” He finished, and Jin sagged in disappointment.

“You too,” he said, pulling away and darting through the shoji door.

He found himself lost in thought as he made his way back to his room.

_Did he hear?_ He asked himself. _I meant it. Does he mean it, did he say he loved me too and I didn’t hear. I would have heard, I was listening for it…_

He was jerked from his thoughts when he entered his room to find his uncle there.

“Jin!” Lord Shimura cried, seemingly stern but Jin saw concern underneath it. “Where were you?”

“I went for a walk,” Jin replied quickly. “To clear my mind.”

Lord Shimura nodded. “A wise choice,” he said solemnly. “But you don’t need to worry, my boy. This is just to first blood.”

Jin nodded. “I know…”

His uncle smiled down at him, kindly. “Bathe and get changed. We will meditate together, before you get swept along in your preparations.”

Jin’s eyes fell on the neatly folded kimono by his futon. Rich black, with the Clan Sakai _kamon_ picked out in gold. It made his chest grow tight. He’d insisted, even begged his uncle to wear Shimura colours, but he’d refused. ‘You’re a man now, Jin.’ He’d said gently. ‘You fight for your own house.’

***

The bath admittedly left Jin feeling better, scrubbing away the sweat from his night with Ryuzo really did focus his mind. Lord Shimura was still in his room when he returned, flushed from the hot water.

He had to be careful not to reveal his shoulder to his uncle. The shallow scratches on his back could be passed off as marks from stones or twigs while practicing, but the large, deep yellow bruise surrounding the love bite couldn’t. Lord Shimura kept up polite conversation as Jin dressed, though Jin was focussing more on the ritual of dressing than the conversation. _Fundoshi,_ tied tightly so it wouldn’t shift in the bout. _Juban_ , carefully smoothed so it wouldn’t be distracting. The black kimono with the _kamon_ Jin tried hard not to look at, and finally hakama. As he finished fastening the _himo_ on his hakama, he realised his uncle had stopped talking. He looked back to find him staring at Jin, somewhat distantly.

“You look so like your father…” Lord Shimura said softly.

Jin smiled sadly. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard so. Jin had none of his mother in his looks, save for his small stature. He had the wide cheekbones and dark eyes of the Sakai men. He shook his parents from his mind as he pulled his hair into a fresh topknot, securing it tightly. He couldn’t afford to be distracted, not today. A black headband with a matching gold Sakai _kamon_ was the last item, tied snugly around his head.

“Come, sit with me,” Lord Shimura said.

Jin knelt beside him, left knee then right. Left hand in his lap first, then right laid over top of it.

“ _Mokusou_ ,” his uncle called softly.

Jin closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breaths. Inhale in a spiral up his spine, exhale back down again. Feeling his breaths spreading into his lungs, through his chest, relaxing his muscles with each exhale.

_Is Ryuzo doing this? Did he hear me last night? He stopped playing with my hair, he must’ve done. Will he play with my hair tonight? I’ll find him after the duel, get some good sake, a quiet place. I’ll tell him again._

_Focus Sakai._

Inhale up the spine, exhale down into the belly.

_Does he love me?_

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

“ _Mokusou yame_.”

The sound drifted to him vaguely, as though he were underwater. He opened his eyes, seeing his uncle smiling at him.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Focussed.”

“Good,” Lord Shimura replied. “You should prepare, I’ll be looking out for you.”

The got up together, exiting through the _shoji_ door. Jin caught a glimpse of Ryuzo down the hall, and flashed a smile at him. As he joined the outskirts of the group of competitors, Lord Shimura clapped him on the shoulder.

“Jin,” he began. “Whatever happens in the _shiaijo_ , know that I’m proud of you.”

Jin nodded, smiling. “I know.”

Lord Shimura clapped him once more on the shoulder, and then he was gone.

***

Competitors’ breakfast was a simple affair; plain rice and pickled vegetables, and though Jin didn’t have much of an appetite he forced himself to finish it. As the first competitors were announced, Jin oiled his weapons, finding a kind of meditation in tending to the blades. As the sun rose higher in the sky, Yamato did indeed beat the shit out of Kosei, Lord Nagao’s eldest son, Yori, beat his second son, Saburo, to no one’s great surprise, and the duel between Takeshi and Kazuo was remarkably short, with Takeshi taking an easy victory. Jin knew the scheduling as they broke for lunch, he and Ryuzo would be the fourth after they resumed. As the first duel took place, Jin warmed up, and he knew somewhere Ryuzo was doing the same. _Suburi_ , to warm the shoulders and arms, _Haya-Suburi_ to prepare his agility, another brief meditation that left him no calmer.

Jin caught the end of the second duel, a noble’s son from the mainland took a beating from Lord Adachi’s younger son, while in the third duel Lord Adachi’s elder son competed against son of one of his Kashindan. Adachi won again, but only just.

When the _shiaijo_ had been tidied, the official made his way back into the centre.

“Our next duel, ladies and gentlemen! In the red kimono, Ryuzo!” He cried, though Jin noticed that the crowd, fatigued by the intense heat of the day, was considerably less enthusiastic than they had been in the morning. The official clearly noticed it too. “In the black kimono, fighting for Clan Sakai, the greatest swordsman in Tsushima, Jin Sakai!”

_Greatest swordsman?!_ Jin thought in alarm.

He forced himself to breathe slowly, and strode to the edge of the _shiaijo_.

“ _Rei!_ ” The official called, and they both bowed.

They stepped up to the marks drawn in the dirt.

“ _Rei!_ ” The official called again, and once again they bowed.

They drew swords in unison, matching _kissaki_.

“ _Hajime!_ ”

Jin felt like a weight had been dropped on his chest, but he forced himself to strike, fast as lightning. Ryuzo parried, swinging for Jin’s stomach, which he twisted to avoid. There was a moment when they circled each other, and Jin felt nausea build in his throat. Ryuzo must have seen he was slightly dazed because he also struck, if anything even quicker than Jin. Jin parried, but barely, and the next few seconds were a flurry of blows that vibrated through Jin’s entire frame. Jin ducked, spun inside Ryuzo’s reach, and saw Ryuzo take momentary stock of the crowd’s reaction. It was minimal, from Ryuzo’s face.

Suddenly there was a vicious, animalistic roar and Ryuzo’s sword flashed down, crashing down sideways into Jin’s steel with raw force that threw him cleanly off balance and sent him spinning into the dirt. More by instinct than design, Jin rolled over one shoulder and came back on his feet, bile rising in his mouth. He had to end this duel, and he had to end it soon. Ryuzo was coming again, and from anger, nerves and desperation to finish, Jin felt hot _ki_ flood his veins.

_Maki-waza_ cleared the blade from his path and then a huge, two handed blow crashed into Ryuzo’s sword. His opponent staggered, and, with a shout, Jin closed the little distance and sank his _kissaki_ across Ryuzo’s torso, flicking the blood from his blade as Ryuzo collapsed into the dirt, clutching his wrist.

“ _Yame!_ ” Shouted the official.

Struggling, Ryuzo staggered to his feet. It was only then that Jin saw the length of the cut he’d made, saw how Ryuzo struggled to resheath his blade, realised the entire crowd was watching him.

“ _Rei_!” The official shouted.

_Please hurry up!_ Jin begged mentally, tasting more bile than he could swallow. They walked backwards to the edge of the ring.

“ _Rei!_ Victory to Sakai!”

The crowd erupted into applause, Jin saw Lord Shimura positively beaming with pride. He bowed respectfully to his audience, then with as much dignity as he could muster strode from the arena, and through the cool building into the courtyard beyond.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, however, he sprinted for the shade of a tree on the other side, spat the bile from his mouth and then threw up most of the water he’d drunk, and the vegetables from lunch. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth and sagged against the tree. Spying a well nearby, he drew a bucket of water and used it to rinse the vomit from the base of the tree and wash his face.

He briefly checked that there was no sick on his clothes, and then returned to the building to watch the last duels of the day.


	2. Blue Silk and Steel Blade

Chapter 2

Blue Silk and Steel Blade

Jin made his way through the castle, fending off the numerous congratulations and offers of sake from all who had seen the duel. And everyone had seen the duel. But Ryuzo had gone this way, he was sure of it.

“Jin!” He heard a voice behind him.

He tried to pretend he hadn’t heard it, and he’d rounded the corner and was out of the house, up the steps, past the infirmary and across the courtyard before he realised it was his uncle calling him.

“Damn it,” he cursed under his breath. He’d have to pretend he simply hadn’t heard him at all.

There were still people in the courtyard, but Jin caught sight of one in particular, slightly set back from the others, in a familiar red kimono.

“Ryuzo!” Jin called out, striding across the courtyard.

Ryuzo hastily picked his jug of sake up and moved off into the shadows. Jin hastily followed, chasing after the shadow Ryuzo left.

“Ryuzo, wait!”

They’d reached a darkened, narrow passage, no one around but the two of them. Jin at one end, Ryuzo almost at the other.

“Hey!” Jin called out.

He saw his friend’s shoulders slump a little in the pale shaft of moonlight.

“What is it Jin?” Ryuzo asked. His voice was hard, but tired.

“I… how are you. After…”

“After you damn near broke my arm?” Ryuzo turned as he spoke, fire replacing the dullness that had been there before. He looked directly into Jin’s eyes. “Or after you acted as though you didn’t even know me?”

Jin looked at the ground. If he was honest, the whole duel felt hazy in his mind, he only dimly remembered the ring of steel on steel. He thought he knew why, it had happened a few times before; anger and fear and passion controlled so hard that they focussed him into something dangerous. But he knew Ryuzo had fought well, even through the fogginess in his mind.

“I wanted to apologise.” Jin said, quietly. “I… I went too far.”

Ryuzo didn’t say anything, but Jin felt his fury from the other end of the alley. Ryuzo finally moved, striding towards him until they were nearly nose to nose. And then from nowhere Ryuzo’s left hook thumped into his cheekbone.

Jin had never underestimated the power of his friend, but even so the punch damn near laid him out.

“I invited every lord in Tsushima to this tournament.” Ryuzo said slowly, fury seeping into every word. “This was my _one_ chance to prove myself, and you say you went too far?”

“I… I never knew. Ryuzo, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why should I have had to?” Ryuzo hissed. “You said you loved me, and then you humiliate me in front of every lord in Tsushima.”

Jin floundered for a minute, and Ryuzo took the opportunity to turn on his heel and walk away.

“Is it broken?” Jin asked softly. “Your arm.”

Ryuzo stopped dead, then sighed deep. “No, just sprained.”

“Join my kashindan,” Jin blurted.

Ryuzo turned. “What?” He asked, his voice somewhere between anger, incredulity and mirthless laughter.

“I mean it,” Jin persevered. “Join my kashindan.”

“I don’t need your pity, Jin Sakai.”

“That’s not what this is.”

Ryuzo barked a shout of mirthless laughter, and Jin used the moment to close the gap between them.

“I meant what I said last night, Ryuzo. I love you. And I don’t know what happened today, but I know it took everything I had to beat you, and I want to help you, however I can.”

Ryuzo’s eyes didn’t soften, but they showed a spark of understanding. He’d seen Jin in the same state before. Jin softly set a hand on the side of Ryuzo’s neck, looking him directly in the eyes.

“Please, just… think about it.”

Ryuzo sighed again, leaning his forehead on Jin’s.

“Alright, I’ll think about it.”

***

Lord Shimura was not best pleased when Jin tried to slip back into the party.

“Where did you go?” He hissed. “I called you, Lord Adachi wanted to talk to you.”

“I wanted to congratulate Ryuzo on his efforts today.”

“Hmm,” Lord Shimura said, clearly unimpressed. “Come, he’s still here.” He led Jin through the crowd to where Lord Adachi stood among a small crowd. At the sight of Lord Shimura, he politely excused himself and made his way over to them.

“Ah, Hiroto!” He said, jovially. “I see you found our errant Lord Sakai.”

“Please forgive my rudeness, Lord Adachi,” Jin said smoothly, bowing. “I was thanking my opponent for our duel.”

“It was very interesting,” Lord Adachi said, smiling broadly. “Most entertaining, Lord Shimura does not overstate your talent.”

“Thank you, a great compliment from such a fine swordsman.”

Lord Adachi laughed loudly, “A very charming young man. You’ve met my youngest daughter, Akiko?”

He gestured expansively to the beautiful young woman in Adachi blue next to him. She turned to face them, then smiled when she saw Jin.

“Jin!” She said happily. “Congratulations, it was a wonderful duel.”

“Thank you,” Jin replied, feeling his face heat a little. “I believe you’re competing in the naginata contest tomorrow?”

Akiko looked a little surprised, but she nodded. “I am, will you be watching?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it.” Jin broke out his most charming smile.

“How old are you now, Lord Sakai?” Lord Adachi asked.

“Nineteen, Lord Adachi.”

“Ah,” in the pause before Lord Adachi continued, Jin and Akiko caught each other’s eyes. They both knew what was coming next. “Have you given much thought to marriage? Now that you’re a man in your own right.”

“No, I must say I haven’t.”

“Our clans are old allies,” Lord Adachi continued. “Perhaps we could arrange something between you two?”

“Father,” Akiko said softly. “I’m sure such a discussion will wait until after the tournament. Chrio’s only just married after all.”

“Yes, this is true,” her father conceded. “Come and stay with us some day, Sakai. We can discuss it further.”

“I would be honoured, Lord Adachi.” Jin replied.

“Jin,” Akiko asked. “Would you like to try some of the octopus?”

With a brief glance to check he had been dismissed by Lord Adachi, Jin summoned his most charming smile. “I haven’t, no.”

“Oh you must, come with me.” And Akiko led him away again.

“I’m sorry about that,” Jin said when they were out of earshot.

“What?” Akiko asked. “My father trying to match us?”

“Yes, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Akiko smiled warmly. “I wasn’t, but thank you for making sure.”

They’d reached the octopus by now, and it was indeed delicious. On their second dumplings, Akiko turned back to Jin.

“Have you really not thought about marriage yet?” She asked him.

“Not at all,” Jin admitted. “I assumed Lord Shimura would make some match when it was the right time.”

“My brother was your age when he married.”

Jin nodded, not really knowing what to say. “As your father said, our clans are old allies, we’re of an age. It’s a good match.”

“You make it sound like you wouldn’t marry me for me,” Akiko laughed.

“I was just getting to the ‘most beautiful woman in Tsushima part’,” Jin replied, also laughing.

“You’re flattering me.”

“It’s not flattery when it’s true.”

Akiko laughed again, and Jin hadn’t been joking when he’d called her beautiful. Tall, for a woman, with dark, half moon eyes, and unusually long hair of pure, arrow straight black. They stayed together, for a time, just enjoying each other’s company.

“You’ll have to excuse me, Jin,” Akiko said eventually. “It’s getting late, I need to be well rested.”

“Of course,” Jin said, hurriedly bowing. “Good luck for tomorrow, Akiko. I’ll be cheering for you.”

When she’d faded into the crowd in a cloud of blue, Lord Shimura reappeared, bearing a cup of sake.

“You did well today,” he said. “I’m proud of you, your spirit.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Lord Shimura surveyed him. “You should consider Lord Adachi’s proposal,” he said. “It’s a very good match.”

Jin nodded. “I know, and I will.”

“You used to like Akiko Adachi.”

“I still do,” Jin said, and it was true. She was the only other person he’d felt any real attraction to, beside Ryuzo. “I think it would be wise to consult Lady Adachi first, though.”

Lord Shimura smiled ruefully. “That is true, Lady Masako is not to be disregarded from the proceedings.”

“Lord Sakai!” A minor lord from the island appeared at Jin’s elbow. “Congratulations on your fight this afternoon, magnificent swordsmanship.”

“Thank you, Lord Nakamura,” Jin replied, his name thankfully filling in the man’s name.

“Lord Shimura,” Lord Nakamura began, evidently having said all that was necessary to Jin. “Have you heard about the criminals in Umugi Cove?”

“I have,” Lord Shimura replied, though Jin saw his irritation that even here he could not escape politics. “It’s most concerning.” He clearly saw Jin’s eyes slightly glaze over, though Lord Nakamura did not. “Would you excuse us, Lord Sakai?”

“Of course, Uncle. Lord Nakamura.” And so Jin bowed again, and left them to their discussion.

Having finished his sake, and making sure he’d talked to everyone he was expected to, he quietly slipped away from the party before he could be waylaid by anyone else and returned to his room, his brain a jumble of his conversation with Ryuzo, and the prospect that he would soon have to be married off to the daughter of some lord.

_It may as well be Akiko._ He thought as he stripped and lay down on his futon.

***

The sun was high in the sky as Akiko took her place in the _shiaijo_. Her blue kimono was radiant against the emerald green opponent, Emi, the eldest daughter of some lord from the mainland.

“ _Hajime_!” The official shouted, and the two women began to circle each other.

“ _Fighto_ Akiko!” shouted Masako, sat beside Jin.

“ _Ganbate_!” Utaka Nagao shouted on Masako’s other said.

Akiko didn’t even look up before she made a blistering strike that Emi barely avoided, but Akiko pressed her attack with a brutal slice that looked well controlled. Emi, desperate to regain the fight tried to take Akiko’s legs from under her, but Akiko avoided it in a blur of blue silk and steel blade, and then the naginata in Emi’s hands was spinning across the _shiaijo_ and Akiko had cut a large gash in Emi’s cheek.

“Yes Akiko!” Masako shouted, her pride for her youngest shining bright in her eyes.

“Well done Akiko!” Jin shouted, grinning broadly.

“ _Yame!_ ” The official shouted over Adachi cheers.

Akiko retook her place on the edge of the _shiaijo_ looking as though she hadn’t fought at all, while Emi strode back to hers, still with dignity, but also a look of embarrassment. Out of the corner of his eye, Jin saw a woman on the other side of the arena in a similar shade of green to Emi’s kimono, and from her furious look Jin gathered it was Emi’s mother.

“ _Rei!_ ” The official called, and both girls bowed. “ _Rei!_ ” He called again as they reached the edge of the _shiaijo_. “Victory to Adachi!”

“She fights well,” Lord Shimura said, making Jin jump. Lord Shimura laughed to see Jin so absorbed.

“Very well,” Jin agreed. “When is Kiku fighting, Lady Nagao?”

“Two more bouts,” Lady Nagao answered. “She’s very excited.”

“I saw her in practice,” Jin admitted. “I wouldn’t want to be facing her.”

“You?” Masako said, smirking. “The greatest swordsman in Tsushima?”

“If not Japan,” Utaka added, smirking too.

Jin flushed, licking his lips. “I never claimed that,” he said firmly.

“No, but after that duel most people know it’s true,” Lady Nagao pointed out.

“Poor boy on the end of that _Maki-Waza_ ,” Masako replied. “He’s lucky he didn’t break an arm. Do you know if anyone offered him employment, Jin?”

“Yes,” Jin said. “I did.”

Lord Shimura, who had been watching the duelling women in the _shiaijo_ up to this point, turned sharply to face Jin. “You did what?”

“I offered him a place among my kashindan, if he’ll take it.”

Lady Masako nodded in approval. “You’ll need fighters you can count on,” she said. “Harunobu did a similar thing in his youth, I believe.”

Lord Shimura looked like he wanted to argue, whether because Jin had appointed his opponent as kashindan, or because that opponent was Ryuzo, Jin didn’t know. Regardless, before he could reply the official began to announce the next match.

“In the pink kimono, fighting for Clan Mazuko, Hiroko Mazuko!”

A tall girl in a sakura pink kimono appeared on the opposite side of the _shiaijo_. Jin noticed that, to compensate for her height, she wielded an abnormally long naginata.

“And in the white kimono, fighting for Clan Nagao, Kiku Nagao!”

Kiku was normally diminutive anyway, but she seemed even shorted next to her opponent.

As the match began, Jin watched Kiku studying the taller girl’s movements. She let Hiroko take a few lazy swings at her with her longer weapon, dodging each time. After a particularly long swing, she ducked under the blade and struck for the girl’s nearer arm, the blade catching home…

At exactly the same time as Hiroko brought the blade back around and sliced into Kiku’s shin. Both girls broke apart, bleeding, and the crowd sat in stunned silence.

“ _Yame_!” Called the official, and he gestured to the three judges at the edge of the _shiaijo_ to come forward.

There was a heavy silence in the crowd as the officials conversed, which broke into anticipation as the judges returned to their positions.

“No points,” the official shouted. “Next blood will determine the victor. _Hajime_!”

“ _Ganbate_ Kiku!” Lady Nagao shouted.

“ _Fighto_ Kiku!” Jin added.

Kiku seemed to take it to heart because she wasted no time, slicing straight for Hiroko’s injured arm and battering her with a series of blows. The crowd around Jin, sensing Kiku’s fighting spirit, began to cheer loudly. Shouts of _fighto_ and _ganbate_ erupted, deafeningly loud around them.

“ _Fighto!_ ” Jin added his voice to the mix.

Finally, after a series of blows Kiku managed to knock her opponent to the ground and her blade flashed down, drawing blood from Hiroko’s other arm.

The crowd around Jin went wild, he saw tear tracks on Lady Nagao’s cheeks before she rubbed them away.

“I’m so proud of her,” she said softly.

When the girls had completed their ritual bows, and the official had announced victory to Nagao, they broke for lunch.

Jin politely excused himself, not wanting to be late for the closing ceremony after lunch. He bumped into Akiko and Kiku in the competitor’s hall, both tucking into rice and fish.

“Jin!” Akiko called, beckoning to him to sit with them.

“Akiko, congratulations!” Jin said warmly. “And Kiku too, of course.”

“Your duel was excellent, Jin,” Kiku said, smiling warmly. “You really are the best swordsman in Tsushima.”

Jin sighed in exasperation, but Akiko laughed at her friend’s comment.

“He’ll be insufferable!” She teased.

“He already is.” Said a deep voice behind them.

Jin turned to see the tall, broad silhouette of Ryuzo scowling down at him.

“Ryuzo,” Akiko said, recognising him immediately. “Kiku, this is Ryuzo, Jin’s friend.”

Jin noticed with relief that she didn’t say ‘Jin’s opponent’, and from the look on Ryuzo’s face it seemed that he was too.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Kiku said politely. “Would you like to sit with us?”

“I would be honoured to sit with lovely ladies,” Ryuzo said, turning on the smile that made Jin fall in love in the first place.

He settled himself next to Kiku, making polite conversation throughout, though Jin could tell he wanted to say something. When they filed out of the hall, he took Jin’s wrist. Jin felt his heart race as Ryuzo said.

“Would you excuse us for a moment, ladies?”

As Ryuzo pulled them into a small side room, Jin shook himself free.

“What are you doing?” He hissed. “We can’t do this here!”

Ryuzo silenced him with a gentle kiss that stole Jin’s breath. Jin shivered, leaning his forehead on Ryuzo’s without opening his eyes.

“I’ll do it.” Ryuzo said suddenly.

Jin opened his eyes to find Ryuzo watching him closely.

“What?” Jin asked, his brain still kiss scrambled.

“I’ll be your kashindan. If you’ll still have me.”

“I…” Jin floundered for the right words. Then he pulled Ryuzo into an embrace. “Of course I’ll still have you. Will you still have me?”

Ryuzo smirked, his hands around Jin’s waist, and leant down to whisper in his ear, “my room, after dinner.”

The drum sounded to inform them the closing ceremony would start soon.

Jin nodded against his lover’s chest. “After dinner.”

***

The sun beat down on rows of young samurai as they stood beside their clans’ banners.

“Young samurai!” Lord Nagao began his speech. “My heartiest congratulations for this tournament. Each of you have fought with courage, honour, and skill! To those who leave this tournament victorious, I congratulate you on your victory! To those who were not, remember that there is no shame in losing to a better warrior. You have each done your clans proud, and I know that you will continue to improve in the months to come.” He paused, as if dramatically, though since most of the competitors were sore, and it was hot, and everyone wanted to relax and have some sake before dinner, the pause was not long. “My particular congratulations to Jin Sakai and Kiku Nagao, for their fighting spirit in this tournament, please come to receive your prizes.”

Jin’s prize, as it turned out, was a crisp, sky blue kimono, while Kiku’s was a kimono of soft green. Once they returned to their banners, the official stepped into Lord Nagao’s place.

“ _Shoumen ni, rei!_ ”

As one everyone bowed toward the front of the arena.

“Thank you everyone, please, relax until it’s time for our dinner!”

As Jin carried both his prize and the Sakai banner out of the arena though, his mind wasn’t on dinner. Instead, it was on Ryuzo, and the three little words he’d whispered in Jin’s ear as they made their way through the empty halls.

_I love you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the notes are the same as last time, a few new contexty things (which will make no difference in a few chapters but YOLO)
> 
> Fighto/Ganbate = These are things spectators will shout to the competitor's in a shiai to cheer them on. I was originally told it was bad manners to shout someone's name in a shiai, but since at competitions I've heard many people shout to their players, I'm not entirely sure what to make of that one.
> 
> Lord Nagao's speech, I have no idea if the whole idea of fighting spirit was a thing in the same way in the period, but in kendo it's a very important thing and they absolutely do give awards and prizes for who in the competition had the best fighting spirit, and it's in some ways the most prized trophy.
> 
> Shoumen ni rei = is the call to bow to the front of the dojo. This is considered bowing to the dojo itself, and again is a very important aspect of kendo etiquette.


	3. The Hurricane

Chapter 3

The Hurricane

“F-fuck…”

Ryuzo’s mouth wrung obscenities from Jin with slow but relentless skill. Maddeningly slow fingers traced his flanks, a soft, wet tongue flickered over his skin.

“Ryuzo…” Jin gasped softly, every touch building the storm in his lower belly.

“Hmm?” His lover replied, shifting to kiss along the line of Jin’s right hip.

“Get on with it…”

Ryuzo snorted, but obligingly undid Jin’s fundoshi, finding the fabric wet with pre-cum. The sensation of Ryuzo’s mouth closing over his cock sent Jin’s breath flying out in a rush and set his head spinning in pleasure. Desperate fingers wound into Ryuzo’s hair, every suck up his shaft drew Jin’s spin into an arch, little flitters of Ryuzo’s tongue over his slit coiled in his gut.

“I don’t want to come like this,” Jin whispered as Ryuzo swallowed him down again.

Ryuzo looked up, and suddenly let Jin’s cock go with a soft _pop_ , shifting himself back up until they were on a level again. They gazed into each other’s eyes from just a moment, then Ryuzo bent his head to kiss Jin’s lips again.

“How do you want to?” He asked, breathless, as the broke apart.

“With you inside me,” Jin whispered back, the pressure of Ryuzo’s larger body on his making his dick twitch.

Ryuzo smirked, then hurriedly scuttled across the small room to retrieve the seaweed extract. Jin’s fingers closed tightly around Ryuzo’s bicep and the fabric of his kimono, discarded beside them, as Ryuzo slid his slicked fingers inside him. The storm inside him grew more intense with each gentle thrust, and any break was followed by another finger.

After what seemed like an eternity Ryuzo decided that was enough, and reached down to slick his own cock. Jin took his wrist, sitting up to hold him close.

“Let me,” he said, moving to flip them around.

“Very adventurous,” Ryuzo said, smirking, but he moved to let Jin straddle him.

“I won’t last at your pace.” Jin dipped his fingers into the jar and slicked the oil over Ryuzo’s cock in firm but gentle strokes that made Ryuzo bite into his lip and bury his face into Jin’s collarbone.

“Damn you Jin Sakai…” he breathed.

Jin laughed softly, setting the jar aside. He drew Ryuzo in for another kiss as he eased himself down, burn slowly giving way to deep, pleasurable fullness. His eyes fluttered open in surprise as his hair fluttered down from the top knot to skim his shoulder blades.

“I like your hair down,” Ryuzo said against him, his fingers tangling in the silky strands.

Jin huffed a laugh that cut off harshly when he moved, driving his own breath from his lungs. The rhythm he found was slow, hoping he’d be able to last as long as Ryuzo, but it didn’t look likely. Ryuzo’s kisses on his neck and his cock in his arse, they had his head spinning.

“Shit, Jin,” Ryuzo whispered against his neck, fingernails scraping at his back, between the shoulder blades. Ryuzo moved, just slightly, so that every time Jin sank back down his cock prodded at that wonderful, sensitive place inside him that made lightning flash through his groin and under his skin.

Even so, Jin never broke the slow pace, feeling the storm clouds build, little by little, every movement picking at the threads of his control until finally, finally, he came, trembling and biting into his lip.

“Jin…” Ryuzo hissed. “Please, just a little more.”

Through the thick, foggy, post orgasmic bliss Jin forced himself to move on Ryuzo again, faster this time. It ached a little on the oversensitive flesh, but when Ryuzo gripped him tighter and he felt his cock twitch and spill deep inside him, it was worth it. The two of them felt like a hurricane, intense and unstoppable and breath taking, but it was all worth it.

Jin sagged after they’d both come, pulling off Ryuzo and settling onto the futon to tuck his head onto Ryuzo’s shoulder. Ryuzo’s arms lazily encircled Jin’s smaller body, a soft kiss pressed to his hair. Neither of them said anything for a while, both happy to bask in the afterglow together. Ryuzo’s fingers tangled in Jin’s hair, fingertips caressing his scalp, and Jin felt himself melt into the gesture, his eyelids fluttering as Ryuzo’s other hand brushed his cheekbone.

“I love you,” Ryuzo said softly into Jin’s hair, pressing another kiss into the hair.

Jin looked up, craning his neck to look Ryuzo in the eye, his free hand tracing his lips, the slight beard where Jin hadn’t managed to grow one yet.

“I love you too.” He said, and they settled back to sleep.

***

Riding out the next day was… interesting, to say the least. Jin wasn’t overly sore, but neither was horse riding an overly gentle activity, and nor was the ride back to Castle Shimura an overly short one. Once they were on the road, Lord Shimura gestured to Jin to follow him in riding ahead.

“What made you ask Ryuzo to join your kashindan?” Lord Shimura asked.

Jin took his time in replying, his eyes caught by a golden bird fluttering into his sight and then flitting away again.

“He fought well,” he eventually began. “It took all my skills to win, and there can be no better ally than one who forces you to constantly improve.”

“Do you think you can trust him?”

“I know I can,” Jin said firmly. “Uncle, Ryuzo is my oldest friend, I trust him with my life.”

Lord Shimura looked to the horizon for a while, clearly lost in thought.

“He has a very passionate disposition,” he said, turning back to Jin.

Jin snorted at that. “Uncle, _I_ have a passionate disposition.”

“You control it,” Lord Shimura said, the sudden hardness in his eyes quelling any remark Jin might have made. “Can he? When it matters, will he bring honour to your clan?”

“Yes.”

They locked eyes for a moment, Lord Shimura seemingly looking for any trace of doubt in Jin’s mind. When he found none, he nodded.

“Very well,” he said softly. “You’re becoming more methodical, Jin. I am proud.”

Jin couldn’t hide his surprise, and Lord Shimura laughed.

“I did not say I approved of your choice, but your reasons are honourable, and wise.”

Jin floundered for a moment. “Thank you, Uncle.”

Lord Shimura clapped him on the shoulder, and favoured him with a rare smile. “You know that if you need guidance, I will always give it.”

“I know, Uncle.”

_What guidance would you give me if you knew it all, Uncle?_ Jin wondered. _Would you be so proud of me then?_

***

Ryuzo found Jin alone, praying by an Inari shrine near their lunch halt. The place was well hidden by a dense copse of trees and a natural stone wall, and it was only the movement of the auburn fox that alerted him to its presence. The fox lay at Jin’s knees, content to have its belly scratched absentmindedly.

“Jin?” Ryuzo asked softly.

Jin’s eyes flew open immediately, his hand seizing the sword by his knees. The fox flopped over onto its side, evidently annoyed at having their pet taken away so suddenly.

“Don’t sneak up on me, Ryuzo,” Jin scowled.

Ryuzo snorted, replacing Jin’s hand to rub the fox’s stomach. “I hardly snuck up, you were in your own world.”

Jin scowled, but went back to rubbing the fox’s stomach too. Glancing behind them to make sure they had no chance of being seen, Ryuzo placed his free hand in the small of Jin’s back, kissing his shoulder.

“What were you thinking about?” He asked as Jin leant his head into his shoulder.

“Us… All this… What will happen in the future…”

“Regretting your choices already, Lord Sakai?”

“Never.” Jin said firmly, hands tangling in the fox’s fur. “I’ll never regret this. Never.”

The fox, clearly bored by having its pets revoked at random intervals, stood up, flicked its tail, and left them to themselves.

“What did your uncle want earlier?” Ryuzo asked, arm sliding fully around Jin’s waist.

“To ask why I made you a kashindan,” Jin said softly.

“He disapproves I take it.”

“I don’t know. He said he approved of my reasons, not my choice.”

“Do you think he knows? About us?”

“No. But…”

“But?”

Jin sighed deeply, inhaling the scent of bathwater, sweat, dust and Ryuzo before he answered.

“He wants me to marry Akiko Adachi.”

Ryuzo stiffened, looking down at him in surprise. “Do you want to marry Akiko Adachi?” He asked.

“No,” Jin said distantly. “But it’s not that simple. I’m _Daimyō_ lord, the _jitō’s_ only living family. I need a son, and for that I need to marry a woman, of samurai class… At which point-”

“It may as well be Akiko Adachi?” Ryuzo guessed.

Jin nodded.

“I thought you liked her?” Ryuzo asked.

“I did, before us, and this. Now… I could love her, and want her. But it’d never be the same as what we have.”

“You wouldn’t be the first lord to take a lover,” Ryuzo said softly.

“No, but I don’t want to live a lie with her. She deserves better than that.”

Ryuzo didn’t have an answer, as he didn’t have an answer most times Jin’s conscience tied him into knots of worry. Instead of trying to come up with one, he drew Jin in close for a hug.

“Nothing has to be decided today,” he said softly as Jin buried his face into Ryuzo’s shoulder. “And when the time comes that we can’t put it off any longer, we’ll just have to make what we can of it. Agreed?”

Jin nodded, squeezing him tightly. “Agreed.”


	4. Cherry Blossom Peace

Chapter 4

Cherry Blossom Peace

It turned out they could avoid the topic of marriage for two summers until the threat of Mongol invasion became too much to ignore. In that time, Ryuzo had risen rapidly through the ranks of Jin’s kashindan. Always passionate, but also quick to learn, he’d taken to Jin’s lessons in the finer points of samurai etiquette like he’d been born into them, though in bed, late at night, his irate mutterings about the stupidity of becoming a stoic, calculating ruler and distinctly disrespectful impressions of said rulers made Jin laugh until his ribs hurt and tears ran down his cheeks.

“A messenger came last night,” Lord Shimura had begun one day over breakfast. “From a man calling himself ‘Kublai Kahn’.”

Jin’s chopsticks froze halfway to his mouth, cold dread seeping into his gut. He forced himself to chew and swallow the rice in them, to give himself a chance to reply calmly.

“Kahn… As in-”

“Genghis Kahn,” Lord Shimura finished gravely. “Yes.”

Jin picked up some pickled vegetables, trying to assume the same gravitas as his uncle. “And what was the message?”

“That his empire had set its eyes on Japan. And that if we allied ourselves with him, he would grant us mercy.”

“And if not?”

“Then he would burn our tiny island to the ground.”

 _Well, mochi points for being direct._ Ryuzo would have said.

“And you told him we would fight to our last breaths?” Jin guessed.

“I did. And we will.” Lord Shimura took a long sip of miso soup. “I sent messengers out to every lord in Tsushima, we will hold a conference, for the case that the Kahn makes good on his threats.”

“Do you think he will?”

Lord Shimura looked at him with an unreadable expression. “I do.”

Jin fell silent, digesting the concept that they were, in effect, at war.

“Jin?” His uncle said softly.

“What do you need from me, Uncle?” He replied, once again meeting his uncle’s gaze.

“We will discuss it at the conference,” Lord Shimura said, pausing slightly, as though he were deciding what to say next. “Ask Ryuzo to join us.” He said eventually.

“What?”

Lord Shimura looked as though it pained him to ask Ryuzo to be there. “I’ve asked the other lords to bring some chosen kashindan, should they feel it appropriate. He has… matured since you appointed him. He may be of use to us.”

Jin licked his lips nervously, but nodded. “When is the conference?”

“One week from today.”

“So soon…”

“The man reached Castle Shimura one day after he landed on the northern shore. Who knows how long it’ll be before the Mongols arrive?”

“And then…”

“And then we face war.” Lord Shimura said, with an air of finality.

Jin realised, abruptly, this would be the first time he’d fought in a war. Skirmishes, bandit problems, even the odd pitched battle, in times of peace these had felt like huge problems that he’d overcome. With the threat of war hanging over their heads, they felt like no preparation at all.

A hand on his shoulder startled him from his concerns.

“Jin?” Lord Shimura said. “Don’t worry, this is not unwinnable.”

“I know,” Jin nodded. “I’ll ride out for Omi today, speak to the kashindan, Ryuzo and I will be back as soon as we can.”

A maid slid open the shoji door to collect their dishes, and the conversation ceased as she took the trays out. They returned her bow as she scurried out, clearly sensing the atmosphere in the room.

When Jin was sure she’d gone, he turned to his uncle. “They don’t know, do they?”

“No,” Lord Shimura replied. “I will tell them after the conference. Do you know why?”

Jin thought for a moment. “Because it is a samurai’s duty to safeguard his people, and before the conference we can’t know how we’ll do that. Telling them now will only create panic.”

“Exactly,” Lord Shimura said, nodding. He smiled slightly, “your father would be proud, Jin.”

Jin knew to smile and nod in response. He never felt that his father would be proud, but he’d also learnt that expressing that would earn him a lecture, so he stopped.

Lord Shimura knew, but he let Jin pretend he’d gotten away with it anyway.

“Pack some clothes,” he told his nephew. “Inform your men, and the conference will decide more.”

***

The roads between Castle Shimura and Omi Village were quiet, the cherry blossoms beginning to bud on the trees. The odd peasant on the road, the rustle of pampas grass, the calls of farmers in paddy fields and tea merchants at crossroads; spring had brought peacefulness to his home. And yet, how long would that last?

Dusk settled in a thick, soft blanket over the sky, an Asian orange sunset through the trees as Omi village came closer. Early spring chill blew on the wind through the trees, rustled among the bushes at the side of the road. The star embroidered quilt of night was heavy across the ground by the time Jin reached the edge of Omi village, a few orange lamps picked out among the inky blackness.

“Who goes there?” A voice called sharply, the faint glint of Sakai black and a steel sword picked out at the guard post.

“It’s Jin, Ren-San.” Jin replied, immediately recognising the voice of his youngest kashindan, just barely a man.

“My Lord,” the young man said quickly, bowing low. “I’m sorry, if I’d known it was you I wouldn’t have challenged.”

Jin smiled, clapping the young man on the shoulder. “You were right to challenge, even me. We can’t be too careful.”

“No my lord. Strange men have been seen on the roads, my lord. Ryuzo and my father have doubled the guard.”

“Very sensible. You’re on second watch?”

“Yes my lord.”

“Is anyone else up?”

“No my lord, just the men on watch.”

Jin nodded solemnly. “Tomorrow, I need to meet with all of you, in the main house at nine o’clock. Can you tell them at breakfast?”

“Yes, Lord Sakai, you can count on me, I promise.”

Jin smiled broadly, squeezing the young man’s shoulder again. “Thank you, Ren. You’re a credit to our clan.”

The young man didn’t look like he quite knew what to do with himself, so he bowed deep, stumbling over his thanks. Jin bade him goodnight and lead his horse to the stable. He pondered on Ren as he rubbed his horse down. He’d meant what he said, Ren _was_ a credit to the clan, as was his father, Denji-san, his father’s right-hand man, and one of his best advisors. If they went to war, they would both go with him, under the Sakai banner. He rested his head on the horse’s neck, longing for his father to help him, or his mother to guide him. The horse nickered softly, nuzzling his shoulder.

“Good boy,” Jin said softly, patting him. “Brave boy…”

He left some hay in the trough and made his way into the main house, taking stock of the silence, then padding past own room, and slipping into Ryuzo’s.

“Ryuzo?” He called softly into the darkness, and was promptly met with a sigh of relief.

“Jin?” Ryuzo whispered back, releasing his sword. “What are you doing here so late?”

Jin answered him by stripping off his outer clothes and wriggling to join him under the covers.

“Hey, what’s all this?” Ryuzo said softly as Jin held him tightly.

When there was no response he gently pulled Jin’s face out to look in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Jin licked his lips, unsure of what to say. “Uncle received a messenger, last night. Mongols want to invade Tsushima.”

“And?”

“And they offered mercy if we’d side with them. And destruction if we didn’t.”

“Mochi points for being direct, I suppose.” Ryuzo said.

Jin snorted, despite himself. “I knew you’d say that.”

“I knew it’d make you laugh,” Ryzuo replied, stroking Jin’s hair out of his eyes. “So, your uncle told this messenger to go fuck himself?”

“More or less.”

“How did that go?”

“I wasn’t there, but…” Jin trailed off, unsure how to continue. “Uncle’s holding a conference, next week. All the lords of Tsushima will be there.”

“Council of war,” Ryuzo said, more interested in kissing each of Jin’s knuckles individually. “Seems sensible. Now let me kiss you, it’s been weeks.”

“Uncle asked you to be there.” Jin said in a rush, and Ryuzo stopped dead in his tracks.

“He what?”

Jin laughed as Ryuzo rolled over to light the lamp to see if he was joking. “Ok, say that again.”

Jin, still sniggering, ran a hand over Ryuzo’s cheek. “He asked you to be there. He said you’d matured, and that you could provide a useful insight.”

“He… said I’d matured?”

“Yes. And you have,” Jin smiled warmly at Ryuzo’s faux-indifferent sneer. “I love you, so much.”

Ryuzo kissed him, gently. “This is new,” he said, running his fingers over the stubble he’d grown while he’d been away. “I like it. Oh!” He said, rolling off the futon and fishing in a chest by the window. “I wrote you a haiku.”

Jin’s eyebrows flickered in surprise, but he took the parchment, covered in Ryuzo’s spidery handwriting.

_Stolen love each night_

_A thousand moonlit kisses_

_Cherry blossom sweet_

“Do you like it?”

Jin reread it four or five times, tracing the words with a gentle fingertip. When Ryuzo’s thumb stroked over his bottom lip he looked up into his eyes, nodding gently.

“It’s beautiful,” Jin said. “Cherry blossoms, short lived, but beautiful.”

Ryuzo brushed invisible stray strands of hair from Jin’s forehead, leaning on him. “It’ll be fine. Whatever happens, I promise.”

Jin pulled back to search Ryuzo’s eyes, and Ryuzo used the chance to press a kiss to Jin’s cheek and pull them back to the futon. Blowing out the lamp, he pulled Jin back into his arms.

“Go to sleep,” he commanded. “We can sort this out tomorrow.”

“I called a meeting tomorrow morning, to tell the others.”

Ryuzo kissed his hair, running fingers through the strands. “All that’s tomorrow, Lord Sakai. For now, you’re my Jin. And I’m telling you that we’ll be fine.”

Jin curled into his arms, kissing his collarbone.

“Promise?” He asked.

“Promise.”

***

Khotan Kahn received his messenger less than two weeks after he’d sent him. The man nervously gave the response of the island’s _jitō_. A solid, unyielding, no. Kahn was almost disappointed.

As the messenger lay twitching, the blade of Kahn’s spear still buried in his spine, Kahn turned to his generals, gathered in his tent.

“The Japanese have chosen death,” he said slowly, watching the smirks of his generals.

“We can sail as soon as the end of the week,” one began, but Kahn held up a hand.

“No. The Japanese are people of traditions, you must think like them in order to defeat them. Take your time, gather an army. We will show these Samurai we make no idle threats.”


	5. Return of the Ronin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience everybody! I had a bit of trouble with this chapter, but I think I finally managed to get it to behave. Please leave any thoughts on it in the comments, it will probably get a bit of an edit later.

Chapter 5

Return of the Ronin

“My men saw the man leave from our coastline,” said Lord Masamoto, Lord of Tsutsu prefecture. “Across the Tsushima Strait.”

They were gathered in the main hall of Castle Shimura, every lord in Tsushima, most of them with their most trusted kashindan. Jin sat at Lord Shimura’s right hand, Ryuzo and Denji next to him.

“They came from Goryeo then,” replied Lord Adachi, pointing to the map of Tsushima and its near neighbours unrolled upon the table. “There is a port here, not far across the strait.”

“They could come from there,” Ryuzo said. “What about this port here?” He pointed to another port marked, further up the coast.

“Too small to send an army from,” Lord Nagao said brusquely. “You’d barely fit half a fleet in there.”

“Maybe that’s their plan. Tsushima isn’t big, maybe they think that’s all they’ll need?”

“Genghis Kahn was never exactly known for his subtlety,” Jin said. “They’ll come with their army.”

Lord Shimura nodded. “I agree with Lord Sakai, they will bring their full force here, then take it to the mainland.”

Ryuzo’s expression flickered for a moment, then smoothed over again. “This port isn’t big enough for a fleet either,” he said smoothly. “Perhaps they mean to send forces from both, and have them join forces for an attack.”

Lord Masamoto examined Ryuzo carefully, his honey-amber eyes boring into where the younger man’s fingers rested upon the map. “Two smaller forces can be launched faster than one large one…” he said softly.

“And attack fast, before we’re fully prepared.” Ryuzo said, noticing the other lords nodding as his idea gained traction.

Jin smiled as the nods grew more convinced, proud of how far Ryuzo had come.

“You think they would be so dishonourable?” Lord Shimura said sharply, examining the map.

Ryuzo paused, momentarily. “I think,” he began. “My lord,” he added as an afterthought. “That we do not know what we face in these Mongols. And that we would be… short sighted, to assume that they abide by honour in the same way samurai do.”

Lord Masamoto nodded as Lord Shimura’s face grew hard. “He’s right, my lord. We cannot assume these Mongols will fight as we do, we must be prepared to adapt, our thinking if not our techniques.”

Lord Shimura nodded, though Jin saw reluctance in it. “You make a fine point, Ryuzo. One we should be prepared to consider.”

A knock sounded at the shoji door.

“Enter.” Lord Shimura called.

“My lord,” a nervous servant said, stepping inside and bowing low. “There is are two messengers for you, from the Straw Hat Ronin.”

“Send them in.”

The man who entered next was almost as tall as the doorway, and as broad as it too. A small beard encircled his mouth, a broad, flat mouth set beneath a broad, flat nose. Behind him entered an equally tall but much thinner man, with a sharp, intelligent looking face.

“Lord Shimura, my lords,” began the broad man. “My apologies for the intrusion, my name is Kōta, this is Rin. Forgive our intrusion, but the Straw Hats have heard of unrest from Goryeo. We’ve come to offer our services.”

Lord Shimura’s face showed surprise, but not as much as Ryuzo’s did.

“We would gladly accept, Kōta-san,” Lord Shimura replied, gesturing to the space beside Lord Masamoto. “Please, join us.”

The two men settled themselves around the map, and Jin noticed Rin’s eyes focussing on Ryuzo, just for a second, before flicking back to the map.

“We believe the Mongols will come from these two ports,” Lord Shimura began.

Rin nodded. “That is logical. They can strike faster in two smaller forces. The most logical point to land on Tsushima is around here,” he gestured to an area on the north east of Izuhara.

“We need to draw them out from there,” Lord Masamoto said. “Too flat, fighting a battle there would be pure suicide.”

Ryuzo frowned at the map, then pointed to Komoda beach.

“What if we could draw the attack here?” He said. “We’d have high ground, and geography on our side.”

Lord Shimura ran a critical eye over Ryuzo, as though assessing the idea’s merit by his appearance. “Komoda beach is a labyrinth of coves and rocks,” he began, and Jin saw Ryuzo about to retort when his uncle continued. “Hard to land a large force there, but we will know the land well. It is a good thought.”

“We have a plan, then?” Rin said shortly.

Lord Shimura cast an eye over the man. “How many men do you have, Rin-san?”

“27.”

“Gather them. Where will we send word to you when we have a date?”

“Kashine Prefecture. There’s a merchant there we trade with.”

Lord Shimura nodded. “All of you, prepare your men. Should anything change, send word to us.”

“Hai, Lord Shimura,” was the unanimous response.

As soon as Lord Shimura had stood up, Ryuzo was also on his feet and out of the room.

Jin paused for a moment, slightly stunned.

“You’re the _jitō’s_ nephew, aren’t you?” A voice said behind him.

Jin turned to see Rin towering behind him, looking at him with a curious understanding. “Yes, Rin-san.” Jin said, bowing. “I’ve not met any Straw Hat ronin for some time. How are things with the men?”

“They’re fed,” Rin began. “And thus happy. I saw you fight at Lord Nagao’s tournament, two summers ago I think. You fought well.”

Jin blushed a little. “Thank you.”

“Perhaps we could duel one day,” Rin continued. “I would like to test my skills against Tsushima’s greatest swordsman.”

Jin’s temper flared. “I would be honoured, Rin-san,” he said shortly.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” Kōta said smoothly, clapping Rin on the shoulder. “He has no manners. You were indeed, excellent in the duel. You’re sorry, aren’t you Rin?”

Rin nodded. “Of course, my lord. I apologise for my manners.”

Jin, his temper still hot, forced himself to bow in acceptance of the apology. “Thank you, Rin-san. Would you excuse me? I do hope we’ll meet again before the war.”

As he left the room, Jin caught sight of Ryuzo on ground level out of the window. Hurrying down the hallway and out into the courtyard, in a parody of two summers before, Jin saw Ryuzo hurrying across the other side of the courtyard.

Ryuzo turned at the sound of Jin’s footsteps, his eyebrows flickering up in surprise to see him there.

“I thought you’d be socialising,” he said softly as Jin approached.

“I was worried about you,” Jin said, equally softly.

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.” Jin longed to lay a hand on Ryuzo’s cheek and look deep into his eyes, but as servants bustled around the courtyard, he couldn’t risk it. “Come with me,” he said.

Ryuzo was silent as Jin lead him across the courtyard, through a deserted building, and to a narrow gap in the castle’s outer wall.

“Where are we going?” Ryuzo hissed in irritation as he squeezed through the gap.

“Down here,” Jin said softly, clambering down a small set of handholds in the rock, onto a small outcrop, shaded from the afternoon sun.

“Are they going to take me?” Ryuzo said, unconvinced.

“They took me,” Jin said, beckoning him.

“You’re smaller than I am.”

“Just get down here.”

The handholds did hold, and Ryuzo crawled down to sit next to Jin, who immediately put an arm around Ryuzo’s shoulders and kissed his cheek.

“Now tell me what’s wrong.”

Ryuzo looked at him for a long moment, then took his hand.

“After our duel, Rin came to see me. Told me I was a good fighter, and that I’d make a good ronin. I said it sounded like fun, and then you made me the offer and… well, I told him I’d had a better offer.”

“That can’t be so unusual, surely?” Jin said softly. “I’m sure you didn’t offend him.”

“It’s not that…” Ryuzo said. “It’s… he’s creepy, the way he looks at me, and us. It makes me feel like he knows.”

“Surely we’d have had some kind of blackmail by now if he did?”

Ryuzo sighed, kissing Jin’s hand and leaning closer into his shoulder. “I don’t know…” he said eventually.

They sat a while, in subdued silence, before Jin asked softly, “if you already had this offer, why _did_ you accept mine?”

Ryuzo was quiet a moment longer. “Because I love you?” He said tentatively. “I did what you do, I went away and meditated.”

“And?”

“And… I had a dream that night, that there was a terrible storm and I was searching for you. And no matter how hard I looked, I knew I would never find you. And then I just… knew I couldn’t let you go.”

Jin chuckled in surprise.

“What?” Ryuzo said indignantly.

“I just… of the two of us, I never expected you to have the first vision.”

Ryuzo snorted. “You’re a soothing influence on me, Jin Sakai.”

Jin ran a hand over Ryuzo’s cheek, “it’ll take a lot more than that.” He said softly, pecking him on the lips.

***

Khotan Kahn stood on the prow of the first ship to sail from the harbour. While the fleet had been prepared, he had read all he could find about the samurai warriors. Having learned a passable amount of their vast language, he studied their beliefs, their traditions, the politics of the island. The leader,

Jitō, _Khotan._ He scolded himself. _It’s called a jitō._

Was a man of some 40 years old, an incredible warrior by the accounts of many, though he had not managed to have any sons that lived past childhood. His nephew seemed poised to become his heir, though Khotan had struggled to learn anything of this boy, save for his sword skills, said to surpass even his uncle’s.

As the wind ruffled in his cloak, a servant appeared bearing _arrag_.

“How long until we make land?” Kahn asked.

“Another two weeks my lord,” the servant said nervously.

“Hmmm,” Kahn said, draining the goblet in one draught. “Maybe then I’ll get some decent drink.”

***

“There’s too many of them!” The messenger cried, rushing into the room.

Jin and Lord Shimura looked up sharply as the man gasped for breath.

“The fleets have left the ports. Scouts have seen them, an army of them!”

“Calm down,” Jin said, getting to his feet. “Who are they, Mongols?”

“Yes my lord,” the messenger said, regaining his breath. “An army, thousands at least! They’re crossing the strait, fishing boats have seen them, they’ll be here in a week, maybe a few days more!”

“Thank you,” Lord Shimura said sharply. “Who do you serve?”

“Lord Masamoto, my lord. He told me to tell you his men are ready to march.”

“Good. Chiro!”

A diminutive maid scurried into the room. “Yes, my lord?”

“Dispatch a messenger to every clan on the island, and to the Straw Hat Ronin, we must assemble our forces now. We must tell these Mongols to land at Komoda beach.”

“I will, my lord.” Chiro said, scurrying from the room.

“You have been most useful,” Lord Shimura told the man. “Return and tell Lord Masamoto we will prepare to ride.”

“Yes my lord,” the man said, and bowed low before leaving the room.

A thick silence hung in the air.

“An army…” Jin said, nerves creeping into his voice. “Against 80 samurai?”

“We do what we must, Jin.” Lord Shimura said firmly.

“We could petition the shogun for reinforcements,” Jin said, thinking fast. “Try to hold out until then.”

“They’ll never reach here in time…” Lord Shimura said, and Jin was frightened to see pain in his eyes. “No, we must fight at Komoda. Try to slow down their forces until the mainland can send troops.”

“80 samurai… Against an army.” Jin felt his hands tremble a little.

“Jin,” Lord Shimura said sharply. “We must do this. For honour, for our people. We ride to war, for our home.”

Jin forced himself to meet his uncle’s eyes, then looked to the raging storm outside.

“We’re going to die,” he said softly, feeling as young as he did when his father died. “Aren’t we, Uncle?”

Lord Shimura joined him at the window, as though hoping the storm would carry his next words off with it.

“Yes, Jin.”


	6. Turn the Lights Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again! Can't promise daily uploads are gonna work out for very long, but we're gonna keep trying. As before, drop any thoughts, requests, theories or general reviews down in the comments!

Chapter 6

Turn the Lights Out

Funerary silence shrouded the samurai camp. A storm had built over the last few hours, until rain and thunder hung in the air. The odd, pre-storm light lent everything a grey, taut hue, broken only by the now too bright glow of auburn fires. Only the cracking as logs on the fires split marked the passage of the halting not-quite-time they sat in, not even the wind dared stir.

The Sakai clan was camped beneath its black banners. Jin had refused, stoutly, to wear his family armour, but they were all garbed in Sakai black, blades with the twin mountain crest embossed on the _saya_ by their sides. None spoke. There was very little left to say. Instead, they watched the auburn haze from thousands of fires and torches on Komoda Beach, knowing that the end awaited them on the shore.

Ryuzo was a warm presence on Jin’s right hand side, but he felt as far away as the samurai Lord Shimura had requested from the mainland. They all felt too young to be here, the end felt far too close at hand. Jin’s eyes fell on Ren as the young man stared into the fire. He’d tried to convince the young man to stay, told him he was needed to safeguard the village, said he would bring both him and his father great honour if he did so. That was the only time Ren refused an order.

A horn sounded in the distance, telling them it was time to ride. Wordlessly, they slipped their _daisho_ into their _obi_ , hoping to stretch this not-time just a little longer.

“I am proud of you, Ren-san,” Jin said, needing to say something before they left.

The Sakai samurai looked up, startled to hear a sound.

“Thank you, my lord…” Ren said softly, a notable tremble in his voice.

Jin tried to find something to say before silence cloaked them again. “You bring me great honour being here. All of you do. I… cannot tell you we will be victorious but I can tell you that we fight as a great clan. And that should we die today, we die with honour. Like the mountains of our _kamon_ , we change, but we will endure.”

“Hai, Sakai-sama!” The cry sounded amusingly hollow, as hard as the seven men tried.

 _I am no sama_ , Jin thought bitterly as they mounted up, Sakai banners in their hands. _I lead my men to their deaths, and they know it._

“Nice speech,” Ryuzo said softly, his horse snorting beneath him. “Very rousing.”

“Shut up,” Jin muttered, bowing slightly to a group of Straw Hats. Some of them wore spare armour, Adachi Blue, Shimura Red, Nagao White, Masamoto Gold. Some wore their own armour, in the distance Jin saw Kōta in his own armour, as large as the sun itself. A few wore just clothes, no distinguishing features beyond their straw hats. One, a skeletally gaunt man with eyes that bore cold beams into Jin’s soul, wore a white so pure as no one had seen before, a vision of death to charge into battle.

“Jin?” Ryuzo said as Jin made to ride to the head of the column with Lord Shimura.

Checking they were far enough ahead not to be heard or seen, Jin found Ryuzo’s hand in the darkness.

“Good luck Ryuzo.” He said, longing to bring the hand to his lips.

Ryuzo squeezed his fingers. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

“You too, love.”

The 80 samurai gathered on the ridge of a hill, Lord Shimura resplendent in his armour, Jin melting into the shadows of the man. Beneath them, they saw pin pricks of soldiers, thousands of eyes alive in the night.

“There must be thousands of them…” Jin said, more to himself than to anyone else.

“An army,” Masamoto confirmed. “Against a bigger army.”

Jin snorted, earning himself a glare from his uncle.

“We will face death together. Defend our home as one,” he said lowly. “Tradition, courage, honour. These make us!” He raised his voice to carry to the samurai around him, who cheered in response. Jin felt heat in his chest, _ki_ seeping through him. “We are the warriors of Tsushima! We are samurai!”

Jin raised his voice to the roars of samurai around him. Behind him, he heard Ryuzo’s _kiai_ , a roar like a bear. As the shouts continued to ripple through the samurai, Lord Shimura turned to Lord Adachi with a smile on his face.

“Lord Adachi. Go break their spirits.”

Lord Adachi smiled back, spurring his horse into a gallop down the path.

Jin saw him dismount, heard his voice as he challenged the outsiders. From the back of the crowd, a man emerged, resplendently huge in plate armour.

“I suppose that’s the Kahn then…” Masamoto said dryly. “I expected glowing red eyes…”

Adachi challenged him, but the man appeared non-plussed. Jin guessed Adachi’s temper was up, but the Mongol simply took a large goblet from an attendant and tossed its contents over Lord Adachi.

Jin’s temper flared and strained at his self-control at the disrespect of this man. He longed to spur his horse on and take the man’s head in vengeance. From Adachi’s body language, he’d begun to have much the same thought when the other man took a nearby torch and tossed it at Adachi’s feet. Whatever had been in the goblet caught easily, and as they watched in horror, flames engulfed Lord Adachi’s body. The Mongol took a heavy spear and separated Adachi’s head from his shoulders.

Stunned gasps rippled through the samurai. The flames of temper gone, replaced with shock as the burning body on the battlefield fell limply to the ground.

“Samurai!” Came the cry from the Kahn. “Do you surrender?!”

Jin felt _ki_ again, hot and writhing beneath his skin. Beside him, Masamoto bared his teeth, his eyes detached but alight.

“Honourless cowards deserve no mercy,” Lord Shimura spat to his men. “No mercy! FOR TSUSHIMA!”

The collective lighting flashes of drawn blades and thunder of hooves on the track marked their charge. Jin raised his roar to join the others, spurring his horse through the flaming arrows launched at them.

“For Lord Adachi!” Masamoto roared as they crashed into the first of the Mongols. “Take their leader’s head!”

“He’s retreating!” Lord Shimura called. “Hunt him down!”

Mongol’s swarmed Jin’s horse, those within a blade’s length he struck with all his strength, using only one hand to control his horse. As he rounded a rock in pursuit of the Kahn’s men, a fresh burst of arrows exploded.

Jin felt himself fall, the whole world tilting with the force of the explosion. When he’d reoriented himself he was on the ground, his horse pinning him down, his helmet lost to the chaos. Movement caught his eye as he sat up, a Mongol advancing as he struggled for his sword.

The flash of a blade flew over him, the ring as his uncle parried the strike and slit the man’s throat. He struggled out from the dead horse’s grasp as Lord Shimura helped him up.

“Jin,” he said sharply, pulling the younger man from his daze. “I need you with me.”

A brief glance behind him showed no sign of Ryuzo, and fear briefly flooded over him.

“We’ve lost so many…” he said to his uncle.

“We have to keep pushing, Jin,” his uncle replied. “No matter the cost.”

“More Mongol dogs!” Came Masamoto’s voice.

“Cut them down! Everyone with me!”

The second charge of the samurai was not ordered, was not bound by honour and tradition. It was fuelled by anger, fear and pain as the survivors charged over the fallen, friend and foe alike. Mongols lined the path, dead bodies and shredded banners of those who had charged in first scattered on the shore.

Jin kicked a man in the chest, accidentally knocking him into another samurai, slammed into another and used the momentum to perform a dazzlingly fast _hike-men_ , turning swiftly to cut through a man behind him before he could stab him in the back.

“The Mongol leader!” Came a shout as they finished the Mongols on the path.

“Jin, with me!” Lord Shimura cried.

They rounded a curve on the path, Jin caught sight of Ren and Denji, their broken bodies twisted together. He wasn’t sure who died protecting who.

“Jin.” Lord Shimura said sharply, shaking his shoulder. “I need you, now!”

Up ahead on the path, the mountain of the Kahn sat upon his horse.

“I’m ready Uncle.”

The _kiai_ that left Jin’s mouth wasn’t his, not a roar but a shriek of anger. He felt his heart pound, his stomach clench as they charged, but he only forced himself to go faster.

 _I won’t fail anyone_. He thought. _Not again, not this time_.

The Kahn turned, aloofly, and falling fire blew Jin cleanly off his feet.

***

There was no breath left in Jin’s body. There was no pain, just the wet trickle of blood down his spine and a stiff, tense feeling of something buried in his back.

The ring of metal on metal rang in his ears, he blinked as his vision cleared and a tall man in black fought further up the beach.

“Ryuzo…” he breathed. He saw his uncle, struggling against a man holding him. Hauling himself from the sand, he staggered to his feet as Ryuzo was knocked to the ground. “RYUZO!”

A second impact thudded into his back and he collapsed by his sword. There was pain now, blood running from his nose, but he forced his legs underneath him again. They disobeyed, and as consciousness trickled away from him, he saw Ryuzo’s snarl as the Mongol dragged him away.

***

Khotan Kahn strode toward the two men forced to kneel at the end of the beach. The gurgling whimpers of a wounded man caught his ears. He stabbed him in irritation. He thought the samurai were supposed to die with honour.

The men at the end of the beach had been stripped of their armour. The one on the right was younger, and bulkier, dressed in pure black with a gash on one side of his face. The elder wore pale gold, his hair streaked with grey.

Khotan bowed before the men, but though the younger one’s look of defiance slipped briefly in surprise, the elder, Lord Shimura, displayed no such emotion.

“I am Khotan,” he began. “Cousin of Kublai, grandson of Genghis.”

When he got no response, he forced himself to smile warmly. “Brothers, you are warriors. You’ve both faced impossible odds before, and won, yes?”

Again, there was no response. He took the long sword from an attendant, noting the two triangles on the black hilt. Drawing the blade, he tested it in his hands. Heavier than other katana he’d seen, made for someone tall and strong perhaps.

“A beautiful weapon,” Khotan said, examining the two men and guessing it belonged to the younger one. “Well balanced, well kept. But while you sharpened your swords, do you know how I prepared for today? I learned. Learned your language, your beliefs, your traditions. Learned how to tame this island, exactly as I want it, exactly as I need it. I’ll ask you again, Lord Shimura. Do you surrender?”

The man’s face remained blank, and so Khotan turned to the younger man.

“What of you, samurai? Will you show your commander here how easy it is to surrender?”

The young man’s eyes flickered over the beach, just for a moment. Khotan stepped back, and allowed himself a leisurely look where the man had cast his eyes, but he saw nothing.

“What do you say, hmm?”

The man stayed silent a moment longer, Khotan thought he saw a flicker of debate behind his eyes. Then the man narrowed his eyes at Khotan, and spoke.

“Go fuck yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, not sure how much context I've already covered so here we go:  
> Saya = a scabbard, the sheath the sword normally sits in, usually made of lacquered wood I think. There are some stories of them being fabulously decorated with gold or mother of pearl, but I assumed for most samurai they would be quite plain, with just a clan crest on them.  
> Sakai-sama = -sama, like -san, is added to the end of a name, -sama is used for someone highly respected. I don't know if any of them would actually call Jin "Sakai-sama", but it made for good angst about Jin's own self-doubt soooo, got to be done.  
> Hike-men = hike waza is a technique where basically you're gauntlet to gauntlet, then you push back from your opponent and smack them in whichever target you're aiming for. Hike-men, therefore, is a men (head) cut, using hike-waza.


	7. The Mountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this chapter... it's a long one, but I hope it was worth the long wait. I was honestly very tired while writing it, because college and fanfiction are sometimes not compatible but I can't stay away from this fic, so please feel free to point out any weird bits that I missed.  
> Don't forget to leave a comment, I'd really like to get to 20 comments and 1000 hits in the next few chapters (though I accept that might be ambitious).  
> Have fun and stay safe!

Chapter 7

The Mountain

The rain on the veranda was the first thing Jin became aware of; a heavy _pat, pat, pat_ of raindrops off the roof. Cold wind blew over his face, a smattering of raindrops cast over his body with each gust. Opening his eyes, he saw the sky outside the window was storm dark, making the maple leaves on the tree outside glow an eerie red in the light. In the corner of the room, a small oil lamp burned bright in the shadows.

“I wasn’t sure you’d wake up.”

Jin’s head jerked to the side, where Ryuzo was already sitting, cross legged, by his bedside.

“You scared us all,” Ryuzo continued. “The wounds were so deep, and infected.”

Jin sat up, “Ryuzo? Where are we?”

“Omi Village, don’t you remember? We were going to ride, then a storm came, destroyed the Mongol fleet.”

“But… I was wounded…”

A maid flickered in through the _shoji_ door, but Jin didn’t recognise her face, half obscured in shadow.

“Hello?” Jin said softly, wanting to see the woman clearly.

“Shhh,” Ryuzo said softly, guiding Jin back to the hard futon. “Rest, love.” He kissed him on the forehead.

Jin froze in fear as the maid turned. Her face was still obscured, but he saw her eyes, and he knew she’d seen.

“Wait,” Jin called, but the woman melted into shadow again. “Ryuzo, go after her, she saw!”

“Everyone knows, Jin,” Ryuzo said, quizzically. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“Because we’re… men aren’t supposed to…”

Pain flashed into Ryuzo’s eyes. “Love, it’s normal, it’s fine.”

Jin struggled up again, pain in his torso flaring. But when his _yukata_ fell open, it revealed no wounds, not a trace of anything on his stomach. The _tatami_ beneath Jin’s fingers felt wet, and cold. A few maple leaves fluttered in with the next gust of wind, and around him shouts he didn’t understand echoed distantly. Jin reached out for Ryuzo’s hand, but Ryuzo appeared in front of him, soundlessly. A woman’s hard face flickered into sight for a moment.

Jin met Not-Ryuzo’s eyes.

“I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” He said softly.

Not-Ryuzo pressed another kiss to his hair. “I love you.”

***

Jin jerked awake, lurching upright and then curling in on himself as he felt pain in his abdomen. Looking down again, he saw bloodstained bandages around his torso.

His head swam and he wanted nothing more than to lie back on the mat with the thin blanket over him, but he forced himself to look around the area. Bandages dripped over the edge of a bucket, the moonlight gleamed on a sliced lotus root, and a flash of metal caught Jin’s eye.

 _My_ Daishō, Jin thought, forcing his feet underneath him.

But when he reached the lotus root, the metal was just the chipped blade of a kitchen knife. An evermore frantic search of the area revealed nothing. The bandages, soaked in bloody water, showed someone had worked hard to keep him alive, but nothing showed who they were, or where they’d gone. There were no handholds in the rocks, no fissures in the sheer, unyielding cliffs that surrounded him. Nothing, save for a thin, muddy path, bare of footprints.

Jin cast his eyes once more over the small bed, the food and the blood, then fled down the thin path. Mongol horns sounded, eerie in the undergrowth. A narrow space in the rock allowed him to squeeze through and peer down into the town. Tattered Shimura banners hung, burning among the buildings, and soldiers, too tall and bulky to be Japanese, roamed the paths. The heat of the fire that had swallowed the village blew in the breeze. A lone house stood across the stream, a lone Mongol guard stood outside the door.

 _It has to be in there._ Jin thought, heart drumming with excitement. _Who else could have got me up here?_

Jin flattened himself against the vegetation along the fence, crouching low no matter how much his wounds protested. At the edge of the vegetation, Jin darted to the back of the house, pausing a moment and hoping that the guard hadn’t seen him. When no shouts went up, and nothing but the crackle of fire and the harsh language of the Mongols interrupted the night, Jin climbed onto a nearby barrel and used the extra height to hop through the broken window. He landed heavily upon the floor, the impact driving pain through his wounds, but he refused to cry out.

He lay there a moment, eyes adjusting to the dark. The house had signs of a struggle, but no blood and no bodies. A gleam of gold caught his eye, and he rolled slowly to his feet and padded over to it. Sakai armour gleamed black at him, the _sode_ and _kusazuri_ missing, but the black leather _dō_ and _kote_ were mostly intact, embossed with the twin mountains.

Putting on the _dō_ was painful, and from the loose, long fit Jin guessed it wasn’t his, but it would be some level of protection should he be seen. Near the discarded armour stood a whetstone, recently used.

_It’s here, it has to be!_

Jin cast his eye around for the dark blue lacquer of his _saya_ , or the pure white silk of the _ito_ , but nothing. He crept along each wall, feeling in the dark for the swords, still nothing. He even crept up into the small attic, but all that was to be found were two futons and two blankets. Nothing.

Jin slumped against the wall, letting himself curl into a ball and clutch at his hair. From his vantage point he could still see the shadow of the Mongol guard on the other side of the door, and anger surged up in his chest at the sight. He clenched his fists, wanting to leap from the attic and smash through the door, batter the man to death with his bare hands. He could almost see the man’s blood on his hands, could almost feel the pain in his knuckles from the punches. His shoulders and legs twitched, as though they wanted to stand by themselves and see the image through. The shadow behind the door turned slightly, and then walked away.

The anger dissipated, leaving only helpless tightness in its wake. Jin felt his breathing try to quicken, and he bit hard on his lip to distract himself, but the tears came anyway, hot and quick. He bit the filthy cloth of his _yukata_ to stifle the sobs as his chest heaved.

_You couldn’t help then, you can’t help now. A samurai without a sword, your family sword, what good are you now?_

He cried in shame, in fear, in hopelessness, as the moon traversed the sky. He sat there a while, even after the tears had stopped, staring out at the sky. Eventually he swiped any tracks from his cheeks and forced himself down the ladder and over to the other door. He took a moment on the threshold, listening carefully for sounds of anyone coming. When there were none he took the risk of sliding open the _shoji_ and looking out onto the street.

The scene that greeted him was an ugly one, fire ravaged the town, a villager lay huddled with a Mongol soldier leering over them. He wanted to rush to the villager, when a flash of red flickered into his sight and someone dragged him back into the house.

A woman in a red _yukata_ glared at him urgently.

“How are your wounds?” She hissed. “Can you run?”

The topic of his _daishō_ was knocked from his mind by the woman’s brisk manner.

“I…” Jin stammered. “I think so?”

A flickering shadow behind the _shoji_ alerted them to a Mongol’s presence.

“I’ll deal with this,” the woman said, pushing him toward the shadows.

Jin’s instinct fought to defend the woman, but the throbbing of his wounds reminded him how much weaker he was at the moment.

“Please,” the woman implored him. “Hide!”

Jin scampered into the shadows just as the _shoji_ was slammed open. The woman collapsed to the floor, sobbing loudly.

“Don’t hurt me, please!” She begged, her hands reaching out to the soldier.

The Mongol grabbed her by her hair. “Chi odoo miniih!” He shouted into her face. When she didn’t understand he shook her head violently. Jin clenched his fists in anger. “Rice!”

“I have some rice! Over there, please, take it!”

The Mongol clattered to the chest, just on the other side of the thin partition. As he rummaged, he seemed not to notice the woman padding up behind him, a small, wickedly curved knife in her hand. She drove the blade into the gap between the helmet and the _sote_. The Mongol tipped backwards and the woman drove the blade into his eye, several times. Only when the soldier had stopped moving did she stand and wipe the blood from her blade.

Jin padded softly out of the shadows, frowning. “Who _are_ you?” He asked softly.

The woman’s eyes snapped to him. “I’m Yuna,” she said, looking him up and down. “You want your sword?”

Jin nodded, dumbly.

“Come with me.” Yuna said, pulling him through the window, out of the house and into the grasses.

Yuna peeked around the corner of the house, before darting out into the side street.

“Yuna-” Jin began. He froze as a Mongol soldier came into view.

Yuna dragged him to the ground, pinning him in the shadows and holding her breath. They watched as the Mongol peered into the alley, his torch flickering, then he turned around and stalked the other way. Yuna darted behind him and Jin followed, crouching in the shade of a low wall. Beyond it, he saw a Japanese woman held down by two soldiers, her kimono torn open and her legs spread. Jin’s fists clenched as a Mongol dragged her away.

“We can’t do anything for her,” Yuna whispered.

“I can save the others,” Jin replied.

Yuna looked like she wanted to reply, but the Mongols gathered over the woman were moving back to the main street.

“Come on,” Yuna hissed, pulling him along behind the house and to a grain store. She flattened herself on her belly and crawled under the wooden structure.

Jin’s wound’s throbbed as he followed, wriggling through the mud. They paused at the other end of the building, watching Mongol feet march on the road outside.

“Come on, but stay low, behind those barrels.”

Jin followed the order, crouching next to Yuna in the darkness. Mongol soldiers all gathered on the main road, too many for them to sneak past.

“Shit…” Yuna breathed “We’ll never be able to get past them all.”

“Why are there so many?” Jin asked.

“Raiders, they’re scavenging for slaves, combing the whole island.” Yuna seemed to be thinking as she spoke. “There’s no choice, we have to risk it.” She withdrew a thin selection of pipes from a pocket in her _yukata_ , carefully untying it.

“Windchimes?” Jin asked, confused.

“To draw them away,” Yuna explained. “Now, when I throw these, run for those grasses to the right of the house, ok?”

Jin nodded, and Yuna stood slightly to heft the chimes far into the street. It landed on the far side of the Mongol pack with a loud clatter, and as the soldiers turned, focussed on the sound, they sprinted across the road. Jin made to carry on running into the woods but Yuna hissed.

“Up here.”

Jin turned to see her leap, cat like, up a wall, scrabble briefly, then haul herself up onto the roof of the house.

“I can’t do that,” Jin hissed, his back still throbbing.

“You can, just jump,” Yuna hissed back. She looked over her shoulder, and Jin became aware of the Mongols spreading out. “Come on! Hurry!”

Jin licked his lips, took a few steps back, and ran at the wall, launching himself as high as he could. The wound under his shoulder blade shrieked in protest as he caught himself, clawing his way up. Yuna took hold of his good arm, pulling with all her strength, and they tumbled onto the rooftop.

Jin lay on his back a while, getting his breath back.

“Let me see your back,” Yuna said softly.

Jin unfastened his _yukata_ , pulling it down to reveal his torso. He felt a trickle of something down his spine.

“Hmm, this one’s opened a little,” Yuna said, tapping just underneath the shoulder blade. “But it’s not bleeding heavily. You’ll be fine.”

“Lord Shimura was with me when I was wounded…” Jin said softly as he refastened his clothes.

“The _jitō_? Forget about him,” Yuna seemed busy scanning the streets below.

“Yuna, Lord Shimura is my uncle.”

Yuna’s expression turned from focussed annoyance, to calculated, wary shock. “You’re Jin Sakai?” She breathed. “The _jitō’s_ nephew?”

Jin forced himself to look Yuna in the eye. “I have to know, did he survive?”

Yuna paused a moment, as if deciding what to say. “I think so. The Kahn took him and another man prisoner.”

“Where?”

“East, up the coast.”

“To Castle Kaneda…” Jin said softly. “We can go there, take the Mongols by surprise. Together, we can drive the Mongols into the sea.”

“I didn’t nurse you back to health for you to throw your life away.”

Jin paused at that. “Why did you save me?”

Yuna looked away. “I couldn’t leave you to die. And I need your help.”

“Anything you need, as soon as we rescue my uncle.”

Yuna nodded, seemingly reluctantly.

“Was… were there any other survivors?” Jin asked, his dream coming back to him.

“A few probably,” Yuna replied.

“One, in particular. A young man, broad, quite tall.”

“I’d say the other prisoner matched that description, but the samurai aren’t short of tall, broad young men.”

“I know…”

 _But still, I can hope it’s him_.

Yuna looked back to the road. “We’ll have to take the rooftops,” she said, leading him across the roof and to the thin roof of a gate, which she darted nimbly over.

Jin followed, considerably less nimbly, and as he watched Yuna pieces started to fall into place.

“You’re a thief?” He said softly as she led him over another rooftop.

“When I need something, I take it.”

“Like my _daishō_?”

“I traded it for the medicine which kept you alive.”

“You _what_?”

“Relax, the buyer lives just up here. We’ll get it back.”

Yuna darted in through a broken window.

“Take any food you can carry,” she instructed.

“This is someone’s house,” Jin replied, shocked.

“And they won’t be coming back.”

Yuna darted off down the ladder, leaving Jin alone on the top floor. He found a _juban_ beside a futon, and some rice and dried fish on a shelf nearby. He took a couple of handfuls of each, but made sure to leave some for the owners. He made a rough mental note of where the house was as he descended the ladder, so he could repay them when the war was over.

Yuna was crouched by a small grate on the ground floor. “You found something?”

“A little.” Jin said.

“Good, the man I traded your sword to lives just up ahead.” And with that she wriggled through the grate.

Jin followed her through the grate, across the grass, and into the next house through the window. The sight of blood greeted them.

“Shit…” Yuna breathed. “They found him.”

Jin’s eyes were already roaming the darkness. “Wait here, I’ll find my swords.”

The front room of the merchant’s house was littered with detritus, and from the overturned barrels in the corner the house had clearly been ransacked. Rice grains scattered across the _tatami_ gleamed like pearls beneath the moonlight. A deep blue kimono lay flung across an open chest. Had the moonlight not been shining through the window, Jin would not have noticed where the kimono ended, and the smooth, midnight blue lacquer of a _saya_ began. Casting the cloth aside revealed the white _ito_ and soft white wave patterns of the _saya_. The blade felt welcomingly heavy in his hands, the memories of training with Lord Shimura as a boy, the pride he’d felt when his uncle first told him he could use his family’s sword came flooding back.

The thud of a boot behind him distracted him from his reverie. Jin sensed something coming up behind him and he spun low on the left foot to avoid exposing his back, drawing his katana as he did. The Mongol behind him brought the speer around for another attempt, and Jin used that moment’s delay to duck inside the arc of the longer weapon and send his _kissaki_ through the man’s exposed throat. The Mongol gasped on his own blood, but even as Jin watched him collapse the light trickled out of his eyes.

The pad of a foot sent Jin whirling around again, but it was only Yuna staring, vaguely impressed, at the body before them

“Not bad,” she said, nudging the Mongol over with her foot.

Jin flicked the blood from his blade and resheathed it. He hurriedly scooped up his _tanto_ too and fastened them both into his _obi_.

“I need a horse,” he said shortly.

Yuna regarded him carefully, then jerked her head. “Stables are just up here.”

Outside, the path was empty but for a small party of Mongols up ahead with their backs to them as they snuck out. A scream sounded from the centre of the pack, and Jin’s hand tightened over his _katana_.

“Leave it, you can’t save them,” Yuna hissed.

“I’m done running,” Jin said, and took off toward the group. Yuna huffed what sounded like a swear word and then took off after him.

Jin’s _kiai_ preceded him, and the Mongol’s turned suddenly. The first one met his end from an upward slash through his neck, neatly severing the head from the body. The wounds in his back ached and pulled as Jin moved, but he forced himself to assess the situation. Three Mongols remained, one spearman, two swordsmen. The spearman lunged for him, spear aimed at Jin’s heart. Jin took it along the back of the blade, but the force of the man behind the blow twisted Jin’s shoulder until it screamed. A blade flashed over his shoulder, glancing off the _dō_ as Jin took the second swordsman’s feet from under him and sliced through his neck, the blow from the first swordsman made him stagger a little but he tucked his head in and rolled to give him some room to work. The swordsman advanced, flicking his swords as he did, covering his chest with one sword and slashing with the other. Jin easily dodged the first sword, but it was only what heat flooded his thigh that he realised the man had also slashed with his second, the tip sinking deep into flesh. He smirked a moment, and Jin used that second to surge forward, springing off from the uninjured leg to cleave deep into the man’s head. His opponent flopped lifelessly, the halves of the neatly bisected head moving with grotesque individuality.

Jin spun for the third man, only to find him already face down in a pool of blood, Yuna pulling an arrow from the base of his head.

“What?” She said, in response to Jin’s bewildered face.

A shadow crept from a ruined house nearby, and Jin raised his blade again, but the villager cried out.

“No, my lord! I’m no invader!”

Jin took a step toward the man, and immediately regretted it as his injured leg reminded him of the gash left by the Mongol. He forced himself upright nevertheless, despite how his head was starting to swim with tiredness.

“Thank you my lord!” The villager said. “I thought we were dead, for sure!”

He saw the man carried a small baby in his arms, and felt his heart soften for the child, scared and probably cold.

“You’re safe now,” he said softly. He dug into the small stores he’d taken from the house in the town. “Take this, and make for the Golden Temple. It should be safe there.”

He caught Yuna giving him a disbelieving look, but the villager stumbled over his thanks.

“Thank you my lord, so much. I-I will, thank you.”

“Go, quickly!” Jin ordered, and with a final ‘thank you’ the villager ran into the woods.

Yuna glared at him as they staggered to the stable. “We needed that…” She said sharply.

“And so did they,” Jin replied. “We have enough, I can do with less.”

“Bloody samurai…” Yuna muttered, but her face softened when she saw Jin’s leg, now bleeding freely. “Let me look at that.”

“No,” Jin said firmly. “Not until we’re away from the town.”

“You won’t make it away if it keeps bleeding like that.”

They’d reached the stables by now, and Jin found himself staring at the four horses the samurai hadn’t taken to that ill-fated battle.

“Which one do you want?” Yuna asked sharply, the subtext of ‘I’d like to get you out before you bleed out’ hanging in the air.

Through the tiredness, the one that stood out sharply was the white stallion. His mother had ridden a horse like that… or she always had in his dreams of her. He staggered to the beast, and it nuzzled his chest in a gentle manner.

“This one…” Jin said softly. “My Sora…”

Yuna snorted, vaguely derisively, and took the reins of a dappled grey in the next stall. “Neko,” she said shortly.

“ _Cat_?” Jin laughed as he mounted up.

“It amuses me. Now move, I want to be clear from here.”

And with that she trotted Neko away from the stables, and out into the forest. Jin followed, easying Sora into a canter that hurt his thigh with every jolt. Yuna led him deep through the forest, navigating only by pools of moonlight and not saying a word. Jin let himself begin to sag in Sora’s saddle, letting his head rest on the horse’s neck. He didn’t know how long they carried on in this way, but after a while Sora stopped abruptly.

Dawn-pink streaked the sky, and Yuna and Neko stood in a clearing a little ahead of them.

“Get down,” Yuna said shortly. “I need to see to your leg.”

She pulled a gourd from her belt, and motioned for Jin to sit down next to her, by a large rock. He eased himself, stiffly, down from the saddle, sending Sora to graze nearby, and sat.

“Take off your _hakama_ ,” Yuna ordered.

Jin did as he was ordered, too tired to take issue with her tone. The cut was long, perhaps the length of his thumb, but not too deep.

“I’ll need to stitch it,” Yuna said, pouring water into the cut, grimacing as blood came away with the water.

Jin nodded, steeling himself for the pain as Yuna drew a kit from a pocket inside her _yukata_. He gasped as the needle first pricked the skin, arching his back and fighting his urge to scramble away. Yuna’s stitched were quick and neat, but she was not given to overt bedside manner. She doused the cut in more water when she was finished, and wrapped a bandage around the wound, then sat back and began to clean her needle.

“You said you needed my help…” Jin began. “What is it that you need?”

Yuna watched him for a moment, as though assessing him.

“My brother,” she said after a while. “The Mongols took him.”

Pieces slotted into place in Jin’s mind. “That’s why you saved me. To get your brother back.”

“He’s my only family,” Yuna said sharply, though Jin heard a thin note of desperation in it. “I just want my brother back.”

Jin lent his head on the rock and thought of Lord Shimura, of Ryuzo, so far away, if they were alive at all. He realised he’d have done much the same thing in Yuna’s situation.

“As soon as we save my uncle,” Jin said. “We’ll save your brother, I promise.”

Yuna looked as though she wasn’t quite sure whether to believe him or not, but she nodded anyway. “I’m coming with you,” she said, standing again and mounted up.

Jin stood too, though he was still tired from his wounds, and mounted Sora, spurring him faster to catch up as Neko slid, catlike, through the trees.

***

It was dark again, and raining too, by the time they reached Castle Kaneda. They’d stopped briefly at midday, but other than that had ridden hard all day.

“The walls are too high to climb…” Yuna said. “We could cause a distraction and sneak inside.”

“No,” Jin said, sliding off Sora’s back. “We walk in the front gate, humiliate them like they did Lord Adachi, and my uncle.”

“And repeat the mistakes that got your friends killed?” Yuna scrambled down too, following him to the bridge.

“No, this time I’ll strike first. Wait here.”

Jin _felt_ the eyeroll Yuna sent his way but focussed his mind on the Mongol on the bridge.

“I’ve come for Lord Shimura!” He shouted as he set foot on the bridge.

The Mongol turned at the unfamiliar language, but when he saw Jin stalking towards him he cried out a single word.

“SAMURAI!”

Jin stalked closer to him, and the man drew up his guard. Jin watched his eyes, looking for any trace of what the man was thinking. A split second before the man struck with his spear, the movement flashed into his face, and Jin neatly side stepped and opened the man’s belly. Another rushed at him, younger from the way he was charging, and Jin swept the boy’s feet before stabbing him through the throat. Three more dwelt in the courtyard, and Jin advanced fast, adrenaline blurring the throbbing in his wounds. They weren’t taken by surprise, but as Jin passed through the main gate he cut one down where he stood with a cut through the chest. The second man had a shield, which he crashed into Jin’s ribs.

Pain flared on contact, and Jin flew into the nearby wall. The Mongol pushed him into the wall with the shield, and Jin took the moment to violently kick the man in the kneecap. A nasty popping crack sounded and the man staggered. Jin turned to the spearman, a young man who thrust at him immediately. This time, Jin knocked the spear off its course and cut across the young man’s belly, then returned to the shieldman and stabbed him through the chest.

“You did it…” Yuna softly.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Jin said. A moaning drew his attention to the spearman, who wasn’t quite dead. Jin stabbed him through his back, steeling his nerve as the pain in his ribs hissed again. “Through here,” he said, running through the gate and into the next courtyard and up the stairs.

Falling fire rained down upon them, and the booms of it echoed through their ears.

“What the hell is that?!” Yuna asked.

“I don’t know,” Jin replied. “They had it on the beach, but we have to keep pushing!”

More Mongol war cries sounded behind them, and together they charged through them. In the next courtyard, Yuna grabbed the back of Jin’s _yukata_.

“We can’t keep going,” she said. “There’s too many of them.”

Jin looked up at the next gate, knowing the bridge lay beyond it.

“Fall back,” he told Yuna. “Keep the path clear while I go ahead.”

“You’re wounded!” Yuna hissed. “You can’t go through alone.”

“I have to. We’ll need a quick escape after I save Lord Shimura.”

Yuna looked like she wanted to argue, but she nodded anyway. “I’ll get the horses ready.”

Jin nodded. “If I’m not back soon,” he began. “Head for the woods.”

“Be careful,” Yuna said, somewhat reluctantly. Then she disappeared back down the path.

Jin kept his sword out as he progressed up the stairs, but there was no one. The quiet set him on edge, waiting for a sword out of the darkness, but nothing came. The bridge lay before him when a shout came from the gate,

“ _Dosho_!”

The faint singing of a bowstring made Jin hit the ground on his belly, looking frantically for the archer as the arrow whizzed past his head. He scrambled to his feet.

“ _Dosho!_ ” The same voice called, and another arrow sung from the top of the gate tower as Jin ducked again.

 _Good work_ , Ryuzo said in Jin’s mind. _You’ve worked out Mongolian for ‘duck’._

Jin saw the man knock another arrow and scrambled up the ladder, the walls meaning the man couldn’t shoot him from here.

 _Note to self_ , Jin thought. _Make sure we can pull up the ladders from the watch towers when we rebuild, so we don’t end up with this problem_

The arrow sung as Jin appeared over the top, but luckily it skidded off his _dō_. By the time the Mongolian had knocked another arrow, Jin had closed the gap, and sent his _kissaki_ through the man’s chest.

Jin felt his heart hammering as he stepped onto the bridge. He half expected more arrows to come flying at him, but none did. The gate lay before him, and he felt the hope. He was so close, he could really do this. He took a deep breath to bellow;

“KHOTAN KAHN!”

The gates creaked open, and a mountain emerged from them.

Jin felt _ki_ flood him again, fuelled by anger and pain, as he stared the Mountain down.

“I am Jin Sakai,” he said proudly, cleaning his blade. “Nephew of Lord Shimura. I come to avenge his honour.”

The Mountain raised an eyebrow, then gestured to someone behind the gate. Two large men dragged prisoners into view.

“Jin!” Both Ryuzo and Lord Shimura cried at once.

The Mountain chuckled at the shock on Jin’s face. “Your uncle has told me much about you, Jin Sakai. As has your… friend, here.”

The _ki_ in Jin’s veins burned hotter at the sight of the two people he loved most, bound by an outsider.

“I will show them their friend,” Kahn continued, turning to face the two prisoners. “Broken, and humiliated, begging to join the Mongol empire.”

Jin’s _ki_ boiled over, a roar formed in his throat as he made to charge.

“Jin!” Lord Shimura warned, a split second before Ryuzo said;

“Take his head!”

Khotan Kahn turned back to the bridge as the gates swung shut.

“Come here, little bird,” Kahn said softly. “Your friends are watching Lord Sakai.”

Jin’s eyes flickered up to the high walls, and both Lord Shimura and Ryuzo were, indeed, there.

“Now is your time, to prove yourself,” Kahn purred.

And then the Mountain advanced.


	8. The Songbird and the Stag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, another apology to make for this chapter! Can I blame my senior year for the delay? Probably not. Oh well.  
> Anyway, as always please don't forget to leave a kudos or a comment if you enjoyed this story, the goal still stands at 1000 hits and 20 comments, and a new goal of 100 kudos. I'm really hoping we might be able to reach 1000 hits in the next couple of chapters!  
> Thank you for reading and have a wonderful evening!

Chapter 8

The Songbird and the Stag

Jin held his ground as Kahn swept forwards. The man’s spear had to be as tall as Jin, if not taller, but he held it with such ease, as though it were naturally connected to his arms. It sailed past Jin’s ear almost before he saw it, enough to brush his cheek but not enough to cut flesh. A warning.

Jin had no time to lose, lunging forward inside the spear to slash as the Kahn’s stomach. The katana’s blade skittered off the plate armour, and shortly afterwards a blade slashed close to his feet, knocking him off balance.

 _A mountain in armour_ , Jin thought bitterly, _with a wind of blades._

Kahn swept again, and this time Jin was ready for him, using _maki-waza_ to try and pull his enemy’s spear from him. The strength behind the blow took Jin’s breath away, jarring his shoulder and his wrist until fire shot up his arms, but he managed to knock it off its course. Before Kahn recovered Jin shot inside his reach once again, his eyes catching on a small target. Just below Khan’s _dō_ , a small peak of fabric showed between the plates. Jin brought his katana down with all his strength on this small target. He felt the blade tug on something, some kind of under armour perhaps, but a small amount of the blade went through.

A monster bellowed in the night, and Jin knew he’d found the human in the mountain. The Kahn staggered a little, and Jin took the chance to charge with his shoulder into the Kahn’s gut, then take his legs from him. The mountain staggered, began to fall, the blade of its weapon stuck deep into the wood of the bridge.

From nowhere a fist slammed Jin into the guardrail. The breath rushed from his lungs as he felt his ribcage creak under the force of the blow. Stars spun in front of Jin’s eyes as he breathed fire into his chest, his wounds now throbbing, both old and new. He slumped a little over the rail, clinging onto his katana with numb feeling fingers.

“Enough,” the mountain purred. “Surrender.”

Jin forced himself upright, unsteady on his feet, and stared Kahn in the eye.

“Show your uncle how _easily_ he can bring peace to his people,” Kahn said softly.

 _Never surrender._ Lord Shimura said in Jin’s mind. _Fight to your last breath._

Jin felt blood trickle down his back, probably broken ribs shift in his chest, and as a last act of defiance the _kiai_ burst out of him like a demon. His katana flashed in the moonlight, and finally he saw Kahn’s blood, a thin line running down his cheek.

The mountain’s face twisted in rage, and seized him by the neck. He lifted him, like a child, until they were eye to eye. Breath fought to wriggle down Jin’s throat, but it was crushed but the huge hand around his neck.

“Jin!” A cry came from the encroaching darkness.

And then, as easily as he’d picked him up, Kahn tossed him from the bridge, and the rushing waters below twinkled to great him.

***

The cold of the snow sank through Jin’s hakama. In the snow, a magnificent black stag collapsed among his own blood, his blade just out of reach.

“Jin…” the stag whispered. “Help… me…”

Jin’s eyes flittered to the blade. He could reach it if he darted from his hiding place. But his courage faltered, and behind the stag a wolf raised its blade. The stag twitched, and then Lord Sakai lay still.

The cold sank deeper into Jin’s bones, his chest tight in fear, as the dead stag stared back at him. It stood on an armour stand now, eyeless eyes watching him coldly. Sobs built in Jin’s chest as he knelt before the dead stag, the pressure of his cries causing pain in his ribs.

“Young Master?” Yuriko said softly, her hand warm on his back. “It’s time to go.”

Jin looked up at her through tears. “I failed him…” he said.

“No Jin,” Yuriko murmured gently. “You survived. You are his legacy, not his failure.”

She helped him up, guiding him to the _shoji_.

“Your parents will guide you,” Yuriko continued as they crossed the garden. “Even from the next life. Your father is the wind at your back, your mother the birds in the trees.”

Ahead of them, on the path, his father’s kashindan lined the steps.

“Can’t you send them away?” Jin asked softly.

“You must face them, Jin. As we all must face our fears.”

Jin looked up at the mournful, black clad kashindan, broken by the Lords and Ladies come to mourn Lord Sakai. The solemn fluttering of white silk amongst the shadows. Yuriko’s hand left his back.

“It’s time to wake up Jin…”

A wet squelch beneath him made Jin’s eyes snap open. The white heads of pampas grass fluttered among the shadows of a nearby copse. His clothes, soaked from the river, clung coldly to his skin, and his ribs throbbed.

He lay, freezing, upon the sand. High above him, the bridge of Castle Kaneda stood, unfaltering by his best attempts to breach it. Tears fell from his eyes as he sat up, whether from pain or helplessness, Jin wasn’t quite sure. A golden songbird sat on a fallen branch nearby, twittering merrily. Jin thought, for a moment, that it looked at him, before it fluttered off to the trees.

His katana was a firm weight in his hand, and he rested the sword in his lap.

“Father…” he asked, running a hand over the _saya_. “Tell me what to do…”

Jin hadn’t entirely expected an answer, but when none came he slumped again, and let the tears come.

_Father. Please!_

A faint breeze ruffled his hair.

Jin looked up, half expecting to see a Mongol in front of him, but no one was there. The wind came again, blowing towards the forest. Yuriko’s words came back to him,

 _Your father is the wind at your back_.

Jin staggered to his feet, easing his way across the grass. As he got closer to the forest, he saw movement in the trees and seized his sword.

A magnificent auburn stag, drenched in golden sunlight, stood drinking from the stream. It raised its head as Jin approached, watching him warily, before turning tail and trotting back into the trees.

Jin followed its path as best he could, for lack of any better place to go.

“Stupid horse!” He heard someone shout, and he whirled around.

In a clearing, not far away, stood Yuna. She looked up as he approached.

“Jin!” She called, running to him. “You’re alive!”

Jin staggered to her, and Sora, seeing his master, trotted to join them.

“Good boy,” Jin murmured into the stalion’s neck.

“Your uncle?” Yuna asked. Was Jin mad, or was that hope in her voice.

Jin licked his lips, then shook his head.

“I… couldn’t get to him…” he said, too ashamed to look Yuna in the eye.

Yuna’s hand on his shoulder startled him.

“At least you’re alive,” she said, more gently than he was expecting.

A war horn sounded, and hoofbeats thudded on the road. Sora abruptly ran from him, and Yuna swore.

“Fuck, patrols,” she dragged him to the tall grass nearby and dragged him down.

Jin gasped in pain as he hit the ground, but the pain helped to cut through the fog of grief in his mind. Harsh shouts in Mongolian came to him from the road, and for a moment he hardly dared to breathe. Not that breathing was easy anyway. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to watch as the riders galloped past.

They stayed in their hiding place long after the last hoofbeat had faded. Jin could happily have stayed among the cool grasses for hours, letting himself sleep, but Yuna shook him lightly. The movement sent pain up his side and he grimaced before he could hide it.

“What is it?” Yuna asked.

“It’s nothing,” Jin said quickly. “Where are the horses?”

“Gone,” Yuna said bitterly. “Bastards scared them off. Can you walk?”

Jin huffed a soft laugh, and whistled. Hooves trotted to them, and Yuna drew her bow, but lowered it when Sora and Neko trotted through the trees.

“Nice trick,” she said, smiling. “Now come on, tell me what they did to you.”

Jin didn’t have the energy to argue, so he pushed himself to sit up. “Kahn, we duelled, and he pushed me into the guardrail.”

Yuna looked at him sharply. “Take off your _yukata_.”

Jin unfastened his _dō_ and slid his _yukata_ off his shoulders so Yuna could probe at his ribs. He hissed as she pressed over the throbbing area, and looking down faintly saw purple splotches blooming over the skin. Yuna sighed in what sounded like relief.

“I don’t think they’re broken,” she said, reaching into her pack. “You’ll have a nasty bruise, but I think the _dō_ took most of the force.”

“Lucky I was wearing it really…” Jin chuckled. He jumped as Yuna spread a cold, wet paste onto the area.

“Poultice,” she said simply. “To help the bruising heal, sit still.”

Jin did, letting his head fall forwards onto his chest.

 _Ryuzo used to touch you there…_ Jin’s mind said, almost feeling Ryuzo’s arms around his waist. Before he could get too consumed in grief, Yuna finished with the ointment.

“Let me bandage you up,” she said. “Then we need to go. I have a lead on my brother.”

Jin nodded, tiredly, and as she went to find bandages in her pack he moved to rest on a nearby tree.

 _Ryuzo will hold me there again_. Jin told himself. _I’ll never give up_.

They didn’t speak as Yuna wrapped Jin’s chest in bandages, but as Jin’s head fell to the side he caught a glimpse of something on the other side of the road.

The magnificent auburn stag stood proudly in a clearing, its head held high, still basked in warm sunlight. And there, on its antler, rested a tiny, golden, songbird.


	9. Held

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slinks in looking sheepish*  
> Well, it's been a while hasn't it? I... honestly have no excuses, I just got lazy. But! As a reward for your patience, and a bit of shameless wish fulfilment on my part, please enjoy this chapter that honestly is my favourite so far!  
> Don't forget to leave requests in the comments!

Chapter 9

Held

Jin loved to be held. Ryuzo wondered if Lord Shimura knew that, as they languished in their shared cell. Had Jin ever crept into his bed as a child, as he had into Ryuzo’s as a teenager. Ryuzo remembered one night, the winter before, when he’d heard to rustle of his _shoji_ door at gone midnight and turned to find Jin standing sheepishly in the doorway.

***

“Ryuzo?” Jin whispered into the darkness.

Ryuzo relaxed his grip on his sword.

“Why are you creeping about in the dark?” He hissed, sitting up on his futon.

“Bad dream…” Jin whispered as he slunk further into the room.

Ryuzo’s heart softened, and he opened his arms for Jin to run into. Jin buried his face into Ryuzo’s collarbone, trembling, as Ryuzo rubbed his back.

“The same one as usual?” Ryuzo asked as the two of them slunk beneath the blankets.

Jin nodded, and Ryuzo felt his lover’s jaw clench as he tried not to cry.

“It wasn’t your fault, Jin. Your father was killed by bandits, there was nothing you could have done…”

“It was you,” Jin whispered.

Ryuzo’s head snapped around to look at Jin, who’s face remained buried into his chest.

“It was you in the snow…” Jin said softly, his breath hitching. “And I couldn’t save you, I was too much of a coward.”

Ryuzo slipped his hand under Jin’s cheek, easing it up so he could look him in the eye.

“You’re no coward, Jin…” Ryuzo said softly. “You were a child…”

“I should have been there…” Jin said, a single, hurriedly brushed away, tear tracked down his cheek.

“Shhhh,” Ryuzo said, kissing him gently. “Come on, it’s ok. You can cry.”

It seemed like Jin’s dam broke, and he tucked his head back into Ryuzo’s shoulder as he silently sobbed, and Ryuzo tried to kiss his pain away.

It felt like hours passed, and maybe they did, when Jin’s tears trailed off, and he lay, limp and exhausted, at Ryuzo’s side.

“I love you,” Ryuzo said softly, tucking his blanket around them both.

“I love you too,” Jin said immediately. “That’s why I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t…” Ryuzo said. “I promise you won’t.”

***

 _You won’t. Poor choice of words there,_ Ryuzo thought now, staring at the thin bars that sealed them off from the world. Beside him, Lord Shimura sat, motionless, as though he were a statue.

Lord Shimura didn’t feel Ryuzo’s gaze, lost deep in meditation. He remembered trying teach Jin to do this, Jin would have been 15. Moments seemed suspended around him as the red maple by Omi lake came into view…

***

Jin shifted beside Lord Shimura, disrupting his concentration.

“Sit still, Jin,” Lord Shimura said, gently.

When his nephew didn’t respond, Lord Shimura opened his eyes, and looked around. The boy’s eyes were also open, fixed on a maple leaf floating on the water’s surface.

“Jin?”

The boy started, looking at him as though he were unaware that his eyes had been open.

“Sorry, Uncle,” he said softly. “I lost my focus…”

“It is not easy,” Lord Shimura said slowly. “It took me many years to master myself, but when you have done it, you will find it easier to control your emotions.”

Once again, Jin didn’t respond, he appeared to be lost in his own thoughts.

“Come on,” Lord Shimura said, standing and returning his katana to its home in his _obi_. “Let’s spar.”

He wasn’t entirely sure Jin was following at first, but when he turned his nephew stood at his shoulder.

“Could I have saved him?” Jin asked suddenly.

“Your father?” Lord Shimura asked, though he knew that was who Jin meant even before his nephew nodded. “Jin, you were a child. You had neither the strength, nor the skill to help your father. And in dying to protect you, he died a warrior’s death.”

Jin didn’t look entirely like he believed him, but he formed his stance nonetheless. Lord Shimura saw his _kissaki_ shake, just a little. He gave his nephew just a split second longer than necessary, before he lunged for the attack.

Jin caught the blade, but barely, scraping it along the back of his blade and taking a clumsy slash at Lord Shimura’s arm. Lord Shimura saw him think the motion before he even made it, darting out of reach and bringing down a sharp blow which Jin staggered from. His nephew caught the downward swing, but missed the return Lord Shimura pulled from the parry, and the very tip of Lord Shimura’s katana sliced into the meat of his thumb.

Jin growled in pain and frustration as blood trickled from the wound.

“You’re not focussing,” Lord Shimura said sharply. “Every move you make is obvious, you can’t read me properly.”

Jin said nothing, refusing to meet his gaze.

“This is why we meditate Jin. You have talent, but that talent is no use if you cannot focus.”

Jin looked up at him, and Lord Shimura saw pain in his eyes, a single tear rolled as he let out a shaky breath.

“Another round,” his nephew said.

Lord Shimura watched the sadness be replaced with something else, that he couldn’t quite name.

This time, a blur of steel came at him, so fast it was only by instinct that he ducked the blow. Another followed it, as the wind from the first strike still fluttered at his face, slicing across his stomach. Lord Shimura was sure his kimono was cut, but another strike came for his head, which he parried. And then his katana spun from his hand before he saw it, and Jin’s blade rested on his throat.

He looked into Jin’s eyes to congratulate him, only to stop when he saw his eyes. Dark as ebony, even in the bright sunlight, but filled with a storm, clouds of anger and pain rushing through the iris.

***

Those same emotions met him in the storm outside as Lord Shimura opened his eyes. Through the bars on the window, Lord Shimura watched as the rain poured, knowing that Jin had come for them, through severe injuries and lashing rain, only to be killed by this invader. His grief once again pressed down on him, as he could tell it did to Ryuzo. He didn’t pretend to understand his nephew’s fondness for the boy, man now, but he saw the pain in Ryuzo’s eyes, however hard he tried to hide it. He sat, motionlessly sullen, occasionally attempting to meditate, though not getting very far.

“Jin loved storms…” the younger man said softly. “He’d take his horse up to the top of a cliff, just to watch the storm clouds in the sky.”

“I know,” Lord Shimura replied, equally softly. “There was a terrible storm the day he was born, I remember holding him, out on the veranda, and he watched it with no trace of fear.”

Silence hung between them, before Ryuzo finally said what they were both thinking. “I suppose, in a way, it’s right that he should die in one.”

Grief washed over them both as lightning flashed across the sky.

“He used to say he couldn’t save his father,” Ryuzo said. “That he failed him. He came here for us, so that he wouldn’t fail us too…”

“I know…” Lord Shimura replied, and guilt flooded through him mixed with guilt. “My son…”

Ryuzo looked at him, quizzically, but made no comment.

“I wish we had some _sakē,_ ” he said absently. “When this is over, we will find his body. Bury him, next to his family.”

“He told you he wanted that too?” Lord Shimura said, recalling his nephew saying, in a fit of drunken melancholy, that he wanted to be with his family when he died.

“He was an angsty drunk,” Ryuzo said simply. “Whenever he had too much _sakē,_ he’d start to talk about his parents.”

“He ran away, after his mother died. He convinced himself she was hiding in the woods, so he ran to find her.”

“I remember Yuriko telling me that. She kept him on a short leash after that.”

“Yes,” Lord Shimura said, mildly amused. “Yes she did. She took him to the _onsen_ for weeks to heal the cough he developed.”

“He still coughs sometimes, when winter comes.”

“He still loves _onsen_ , I think he could sit in them all day if he had the time.”

Ryuzo smirked, slightly, so that Lord Shimura couldn’t see him. If only Lord Shimura knew what else he and Jin used to get up to in _onsen_.

***

The storm in the clouds framed the red maple’s leaves starkly. Steam rose from the clear waters of the _onsen_ , caught on the winds that blew across the forest. Jin sat serenely, eyes closed, up to his collarbones in the water, while Ryuzo watched the peace on his lover’s face. He enjoyed _onsen_ for the soothing heat in his muscles, Jin used them as much for meditation as for that. He wasn’t cross legged, but his hands did rest gently in his lap, as they did when he meditated.

“You said you’d try to meditate too,” Jin said, softly.

Ryuzo chuckled, sliding closer so that he could wrap his arm around Jin’s shoulders.

“I am meditating,” Ryuzo said softly. “On how gorgeous you are.”

Jin snorted then, opening his eyes as he turned his head for a kiss.

“I love you,” Jin said against Ryuzo’s lips. “The way you make me laugh, your smile, the way you always know what I’m thinking-”

“Jin everyone who can see your face knows exactly what you’re thinking.”

“I’m complementing you,” Jin persisted, moving his kisses along Ryuzo’s cheek. “Let me finish.”

Ryuzo crept his other arm around Jin’s waist as the smaller man pressed more kisses to his cheek.

“I love your smirk, when you think my uncle isn’t watching,” Jin whispered into Ryuzo’s jaw. “How you look with your hair down,” into his neck. “How the muscles in your arms flex when you’re fighting,” just above his collarbone. “When someone says something stupid, but you’re trying not to insult them and you get this really stubborn look in your eyes, it’s gorgeous.”

“Oh I see,” Ryuzo laughed, sliding his other arm from Jin’s shoulders and wrapping it around Jin’s waist, pulling him onto his lap. “So you like it when I look pissed off, is that it?”

“Partially,” Jin said, coming back up to kiss his lips. “Partially because last year you’d have just torn their heads off,” he drew back, looking deep into Ryuzo’s eyes. “I’m so proud of you, you know that don’t you?”

Warmth glowed in Ryuzo’s chest, and he moved his hands to cup Jin’s cheeks, running one thumb over his lower lip. “I know,” he said softly, pulling Jin in for another kiss.

Jin’s arms came up to wrap around Ryuzo’s neck, and when Ryuzo slipped his hand into Jin’s hair a soft moan slipped from the smaller man’s lips. Jin’s tongue flittered over Ryuzo’s lower lip as his cock stirred against his thigh. One hand skimmed down his chest, skirting around where he wanted it to go and caressing the inside of his thigh, and in revenge he took his other arm from around Jin’s waist and rolled his nipple between two fingers.

Teeth chased at his lips, not roughly, just enough to stoke the fire in Ryuzo’s belly. Jin wrapped his legs around his waist, one hand in Ryuzo’s hair, the other on his cock, kisses making their way along his jaw and down his neck until he found a stop to pause and suck. The first graze of teeth made Ryuzo’s head spin, and he arched his neck, partially to give Jin room for more, partially to let the rain cool his flushed face.

“You’re not normally this adventurous…” Ryuzo said breathlessly.

Jin finished his ministrations with a gentle kiss over the bruise, and looked up at him. “Do you want me to stop?”

Ryuzo shook his head, wrapping his hand around Jin’s cock and stroking, ever so slowly. “Don’t you dare.”

Jin’s eyelashes fluttered against Ryuzo’s skin and he sighed, high and tight, as the larger man’s hand dragged over his cock. He pressed another kiss to the love bite, and sat up straighter, kissing Ryuzo’s mouth once again. Ryuzo slipped an arm under Jin’s thighs and easily lifted him out of the water to sprawl on the grass. With the moonlight now on Jin’s face he saw his pupils blown wide, his cock completely hard against his stomach, the faint flushes he got on his chest and neck when he was turned on just barely visible.

“Let me fuck you,” Jin said softly, as Ryuzo followed him out of the _onsen_.

Ryuzo looked down in him in surprise, and was met with a soft but determined gaze. He smiled and kissed Jin on the lips again.

“Ok,” he whispered, and rolled obligingly onto his back.

The rain was startlingly cold outside of the warm waters, but when Jin dipped a finger into the pot of seaweed extract and slipped it inside him, Ryuzo completely forgot the storm existed. He felt himself clench around the finger, breathing hard, and when Jin added another, smoothly finding his prostate, Ryuzo thought he might bite through his lip to keep from moaning.

“Hey,” Jin said softly.

Ryuzo forced his eyes open to look into Jin’s face.

“You’re ok?” Jin asked gently.

“Just fine…” Ryuzo muttered, gasping when the two fingers moved inside him.

“Can you take another?”

Ryuzo wanted to mutter that he was about to take Jin’s cock, but he couldn’t formulate the thought into words so he just nodded.

The third finger burned more than the others had, and maybe Jin saw it on Ryuzo’s face because he spent what felt like hours, though was probably minutes, just letting Ryuzo settle around them, moving them smoothly in and out until Ryuzo felt like he was taught as a bow string.

When Jin removed the fingers altogether, the emptiness was startling. Ryuzo heard a few strangled gasps as, he assumed, Jin spread the seaweed extract over his own cock, then a gentle hand on his chest.

“Ok?” Jin asked one more time.

“Ok,” Ryuzo confirmed, and slowly but smoothly Jin slid inside him. It was a little odd, but not painful, and the warmth of Jin’s body on his drove away the chill of the storm.

Jin rolled his hips almost as though they were rolls of thunder, the sharp, raw waves of pleasure when Jin’s cock hit his prostate were lightning. Ryuzo’s arms curled tight around his lover, holding as tight as he could without impeding his movement.

“Jin…” he said hoarsely as he felt his orgasm coming. Judging by how tight Jin’s muscles were coiled, how his thrusts were losing some of their steadiness, Jin was close too.

“I know,” Jin whispered, exhaling harshly but still slipping his hand down around Ryuzo’s cock, stroking the head. “Come for me love.”

It didn’t take long after that before Ryuzo came, barely holding in a moan and clinging to Jin for dear life, scraping his nails along Jin’s back.

It took a few minutes for Ryuzo to come, bonelessly, back to reality. Jin slumped on top of him, seemingly exhausted, and if he cared about the sticky mess between their stomachs he gave no indication of it. Apparently noticing he was being watched, he opened his eyes and gave Ryuzo a satisfied smile.

“Was it good?”

Ryuzo let out a soft chuckle, stroking Jin’s cheek. “It was amazing,” he replied.

A gust of wind made them both shiver, and forced Ryuzo to sit up.

“Come on,” he said, taking a small cloth from his pack and soaking it in water from the nearby bucket. “Clean up and we can get back in.”

Jin ‘hmmmmed’ reluctantly, sprawled like a cat on the grass, but accepted the cloth and cleaned Ryuzo’s cum from his stomach.

When they had washed again, they slipped back into the waters, the heat wrapping around them like an old friend. Jin, still boneless and flushed, sagged against Ryuzo’s side.

“No sleeping in the _onsen_ Lord Sakai,” Ryuzo teased.

Jin swatted at him half-heartedly.

“You’re comfy,” he said sleepily.

Ryuzo snorted, but still put an arm around Jin’s shoulders, kissing his sweaty hair as lightning flashed across the sky, and letting him drift into a doze as the storm raged on.

***

Lord Shimura was meditating again when Ryuzo heard the Kahn’s footsteps. He saw him stiffen minutely, though Kahn clearly did not.

“Lord Shimura,” the Mongol began. “You deserve _better_ than this. Convince your people to stop resisting, and you can both go free.”

Ryuzo rolled his eyes, and resumed sullenly staring at the ceiling.

“Stop wasting my time,” he heard Lord Shimura growl. “Kill me.”

There was a smug pause, and Ryuzo got the impression Kahn was smirking.

“You think you’ve lost everything. But your nephew is still alive.”

A sharp intake of breath and a hoarse “Jin…”

Ryuzo’s eyes flickered to Lord Shimura, never having seen the man show emotion like this before. He looked to the Kahn, and saw that he was, in fact, smirking.

“You love him,” Kahn said simply, and Ryuzo got the curious feeling he was speaking to them both. “As you love your people. You are a father to them. Will you let your children suffer, Lord Shimura?”

Ryuzo watched as the older man visibly composed himself. “Lord Sakai will fight until his last breath,” he said, turning to face Kahn. “As will we.”

Kahn turned his gaze to Ryuzo. “What of you?” He asked. “You are Lord Sakai’s right-hand man, will you let your master die for your own pride?”

The remark sent flames of anger searing up Ryuzo’s chest, but he quashed them, just as Jin had taught him to do. He stared the Kahn directly in the eye. “I am but a humble retainer,” he said, resisting the urge to smirk back.

Kahn didn’t break his gaze, and a cunning gleam shone in his eyes.

“What more than that?” He asked as he walked away.


	10. 24 Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I hope you're all doing well, and that you all enjoy the new chapter. It was a bit of a bastard to write, but I think I managed to wrangle it in the end. As always don't forget to leave any suggestions, requests or comments down below, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Chapter 10

24 Years

Jin let Yuna lead them for most of the day. They’d discarded the armour, broken beyond repair, in the clearing, but even in just a _yukata_ and _hakama_ , Jin’s body felt heavy and unwieldy. Beside him, Yuna also sagged in her saddle, having gone as long, if not longer, without any decent sleep.

“They’ve taken Taka to a transportation camp, near the Kaneda inlet,” Yuna said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Near Kechi?” Jin asked, his brain feeling foggy.

Yuna nodded. “There’s a small overlook, we can get a better look there.”

Jin was sure he knew the place, but he found himself forcing his brain just to get the sentence “Let’s take a look,” into order.

Sora’s rocking brought heaviness over Jin’s eyelids once again, and he tangled his hands in Sora’s mane, forcing himself to stay upright.

 _Fight through the tiredness, Jin_ , a voice in his head that sounded remarkably like his uncle said. _You can rest soon_.

An undetermined amount of time later, Sora came to a halt. Opening his eyes to the too bright light, Jin saw that Yuna and Neko had stopped at the base of a path up to the overlook. They dismounted and crept up behind a large boulder, sending the horses to graze. A large, hastily built but well-fortified camp sat atop a cliff on the other side of the river. Jin case his eyes over the road leading to the main gate, studying the guards and the fortifications.

“We could go in by the main gate, take the force by surprise,” he began, doubting whether he would be able to fight well enough as tired as he was, but still determined to fulfil his debt.

“No,” Yuna said, firmly. “If they hear us, if we’re seen, they’ll kill the hostages.”

Jin looked at her, surprised and a little confused. “They would do such a thing?” He asked, incredulous.

Yuna looked at him, her eyes hard. “I’ve seen them do it.”

Jin licked his lips, nervously, but nodded. He looked over the rest of the cliff. There were a set of handholds in the rocks, but no obvious way in through the walls.

“We could climb those,” Jin said, pointing out the site to Yuna. “Scale the wall to get in.”

Yuna looked at the holds, then to Jin, then back to the holds again. “No…” she said softly. “You won’t be able to get over that wall, not with your ribs.”

Jin felt his pride scowling inside him. “I’ve done more, and with worse.”

“Not with my brother on the line you haven’t. Yuna said sharply. “I can’t risk it, anything could go wrong.”

“You have any better ideas?” Jin hissed, temper flaring from tiredness, pain and grief.

“Not yet,” Yuna said, sounding equally annoyed. “But a good thief, like a good samurai, knows how to be patient.”

She turned to her pack, pulling a gourd of water from it.

“Get some rest, my lord,” she said sarcastically. “You look like you need it.”

Rest sounded incredible, but the proud, stoic Jin that Lord Shimura had instilled in him fought back. “I’m fine, you should rest first.”

Yuna snorted into her gourd, muttering something that sounded like ‘stubborn samurai’. Jin rested his back against the rocks, letting his head fall back to lean on one, and focussing on not falling asleep.

***

Jin started awake, his neck and back sore, body feeling stiff. Beside him, Yuna made a warm, heavy weight on the grass. Inky night had settled its quilt over them, and the moonlight flittered off the heads of pampas grass blowing in the breeze. He sat for a moment, wondering what the concerns at the edge of his peace were. Then suddenly the camp and the Mongols rushed back into his mind, and he jerked around to look back at the Mongol camp. Not much had changed, save for the glow of campfires and the smell of smoke in the air. Jin turned back and shook Yuna awake.

“Yuna,” he hissed. “Wake up!”

“Taka?” Yuna murmured as she began to stir. Then her eyes opened. “Jin?” She said, and then the pain flooded back into her eyes, just for a moment, before she hid it again.

She turned around, watching the Mongol camp intently. “We need to get in there soon, before it gets light.”

“It must be around midnight,” Jin said, looking at the moon high in the sky. “Do you see any way of getting in?”

Yuna didn’t answer for a moment, and Jin’s eye was caught by a movement. He whirled, katana already half out of its _saya_ , but there was nothing there.

“Get down!” Yuna hissed, dragging him back to the ground.

“Someone’s here,” Jin said urgently.

Yuna’s hand went to her sword, but her eyes remained fixed on the walls of the Mongol camp. “No, look,” she pointed to a small section of the fencing. “It’s loose, that’s what you saw.”

Jin frowned, hand still on the hilt of his katana, watching the section of fencing carefully. For a while he didn’t see anything, but a particularly strong gust of wind caught a loose panel and the moonlight flashed off its surface.

Jin looked at Yuna, wondering if she was thinking what he was thinking. “Do you think we could get through there?” He asked.

“I think so, I see some grass on the other side where we could hide.” She looked at Jin, her eyes cold. “We can’t alert anyone, can you do that?”

Jin’s eyes flickered to his hand, resting upon the hilt of his katana.

“No samurai tactics,” Yuna said firmly. “It has to be silent.”

Jin bit his lip, looking away from her and hearing his uncle’s words echoing back to him.

 _Only cowards strike from the shadows_.

 _I am no coward_ , Jin’d said all those years ago. Wasn’t he? Hiding in the shadows while his father died, hiding in the shadows now…

“Jin!” Yuna hissed. “If you can’t do this, I’ll go in alone.”

Jin bit down harder to push his thoughts back down. “Let’s go,” he said softly.

Yuna looked at him a moment longer, then moved past him and slunk, cat-like, down the small path from the overlook and towards the river.

Jin looked around, nervously, to see if any Mongols saw them as they crossed the icy river, but they seemed completely unaware of their presence. At the base of the cliff they scampered up a fallen tree and hopped onto a narrow outcrop, jumped up to catch a small ledge and shuffled, hand over hand along until they could jump up to catch a small rock which stuck out from the face. Another jump to the dead stump of a tree, probably the same one as the trunk at the bottom, and they hauled themselves up, through the hole in the fence, and into the tall grasses inside the perimeter. Jin felt sweat starting to bead on his forehead and his back, his wounds and ribs throbbing in time with his heartbeat. Behind him, Yuna also lay flat in the grasses, breathing steadily lest they be heard. Ahead of them, one guard stood with his back to them, his sword beside him on the grass. Yuna gestured to him, drawing a wickedly curved knife from her _yukata_ , and Jin obediently drew his tantō from its _saya_. Yuna held her finger to her lips, and then gestured to the guard and drew a line across her throat. Then she waved him towards the Mongol guard.

Jin licked his lips, but began to move towards his enemy, hugging the shadows of the fence and keeping low and out of sight. The final section of the assault was to creep across the open space to where the guard stood.

 _I don’t need to kill him,_ Jin thought softly. _Just silence him. I will look him in the eye as he dies._

He seized the man around the neck, one hand over his mouth, the other pulling his tantō through the man’s windpipe. It didn’t feel so very different from taking someone’s head with a katana, really, the blade was just as sharp, just as cold.

The man flopped to the ground, blood gushing from the second mouth Jin had opened. Jin had expected to see the Kahn in the man’s eyes, the eyes of a rabid dog, but he only saw the terrified eyes of another man as he plunged the blade into the man’s chest.

 _I’m sorry Uncle,_ Jin thought, perhaps even said aloud. _I had no choice._

“Jin?” Yuna said softly. Jin hadn’t even heard her approach. “What’s wrong?”

Jin took one final look at the man, then wiped his tantō on his sleeve and looked at Yuna. “That’s the main gate,” he said softly, noticing a large group of Mongols milling around a fire. “I don’t see anyone, so I think the hostages must be up there.”

Yuna didn’t press him on her question, and Jin was grateful for it. Instead, she nodded, and they crept up the narrow path, never moving far at a time. Yuna seemed to have an uncanny sense of where enemy soldiers were, because they always slipped behind a patrol’s back or into grasses at exactly the right spot. Near a large tent, Jin stiffened when he saw a head speared to the ground.

“Yuna?” He asked, mouth dry and chest tight. “Is that-”

“No.” She replied firmly. “Not Taka.”

Jin breathed a sigh of relief as Yuna pulled him towards three cages. Surprisingly, no guards stood near them, and in the nearest a body slumped, clearly dead.

“Not him either,” Yuna said, frustration creeping into her voice. “Godsdamnit…”

Jin found himself staring into the cage opposite him, drawn into the darkness by something he couldn’t quite explain.

“Jin,” Yuna hissed. “We need to go back.”

From the darkness in the cage, a pair of eyes turned to gleam at him. Small eyes, close set in a thin face.

Rin turned his head, tossing a small stick into the cage next to him. Another pair of eyes opened, and Lord Masamoto stirred in his cage. Jin darted from his cover, already drawing his sword to remove the locks.

“Jin!” Yuna hissed sharply, but he paid her no heed.

He had broken the first lock and turned to Masamoto’s when the man’s eyes went wide.

“Sakai!” He said by way of a warning, but a soft thump cut off his shout.

Jin turned, katana raised to fend off an attack, but he was met with the sight of Yuna removing a small blade from the neck of a dead Mongol.

“Impressive,” Rin said softly, unfolding himself from the cage. He turned sharply to Jin. “Hurry up, Sakai, we don’t have all day.”

Jin squashed down his anger and broke the lock of Masamoto’s cage. “Come on,” Jin said. “There’s a gap in the fence we can go through.

“They took Kōta’s swords,” Rin said simply. “I’m not leaving without them.”

Jin frowned, not having thought Rin the sentimental type. “Where are they?”

“The commander took them,” Masamoto supplied. “Mine too.”

“Can we have this conversation _not_ in the open?” Yuna hissed, dragging Jin into the shadows.

The others followed, and they huddled in the grasses.

“You have your _daishō_ , Sakai,” Rin said. “Our swords are in that tent. As soon as we have them, we can go.”

Jin looked where Rin was pointing, toward the largest and most elaborate of the tents, and sighed, but nodded too. “Let’s go in through there,” he said, gesturing to the rear entrance. “Then we make our way out through the shadows.”

“You realise if the main man happens to see you, you’re dead meat don’t you?” Yuna said.

Masamoto appeared to be considering it, but Rin’s eyes remained fiery.

“I’ll take the risk,” he said, and with that he darted off for the tent.

“Shit,” Jin muttered, following behind the taller man.

Thankfully there was no one in the large tent, where he found Rin looking around the furniture. A golden red lacquered _saya_ gleamed from the base of what looked like a throne, the katana lay, blade bare, nearby, and the tantō next to it. Jin rushed to pick them up, recognising them as Rin’s. Lord Masamoto came in behind him, scanning the tent for the famous Masamoto _daisho_ , with its abnormally long tantō and golden _ito_.

“Where is it?” Rin hissed, desperation creeping into his voice.

“What does it look like?” Yuna asked, giving off the strong impression she just wanted to be out of here.

“Grey _saya_ , pale brown _ito_ ,” Rin said shortly, ripping up what looked like the commander’s bed.

“Found it,” Yuna called, pulling both swords from a rug near the hearth. “Let’s go.”

The clatter of armour distracted them, and a large man in golden plate appeared at the tent’s entrance, a smaller man in blue behind him.

“Yamar novsh ve?” He shouted, seeing four Japanese intruders standing in his tent. “Zugtakh!”

“Run!” Yuna shouted.

Jin closed the distance between him and the commander in a moment, taking his head with one clean cut. The other man charged with his spear but Rin took his arm off at the elbow and stabbed him through the throat.

Yuna led them at a run through the camp, Mongols appearing out of the darkness, war-horns echoing around them.

“Left!” Yuna shouted, and Jin sprinted around the tent, seeing the small gap in the fence.

“Go!” He shouted to Yuna, who leapt through the hole. “Follow her, I’ll join you.”

Rin made it through but Jin could see from here that Masamoto’s shoulders wouldn’t fit. Thinking quickly he seized the plank beside the loose one, pulling with all his might. The panel didn’t come free, but the ropes, hurriedly tied, gave just enough for Masamoto to slip through. Dogs barked as Jin let the other plank go, wriggling through the gap and jumping down to the ledge beneath. His abused body screamed at him as his weight jolted him, but he hopped down to the rock. He was running down the log as the first arrows began firing, one whizzing right past his ear.

“This way!” He shouted, chasing to catch up to Yuna once they left the river. “Sora! Here boy!”

“Neko!” Yuna shouted at the same time.

Both horses came trotting out from the trees, galloping as they saw their owners running from arrows.

“Get on,” Yuna ordered Rin, who did as he was told.

“You share with me,” Jin said, mounting Sora and, making sure Masamoto had a firm grip, spurred him into a gallop.

“The Straw Hats shouldn’t be far,” Rin shouted to him. “Go through the woods, straight over the next road, then left into the woods!”

Jin and Yuna did as they were told, the shouts behind them fading as they galloped through the woods. When they had crossed the road, into the next woods, and the shouts had disappeared entirely, they slowed the horses to a trot.

“Follow the river upstream,” Rin said, and they did.

“What were you doing there, Rin-san?” Jin asked.

“I was looking for food,” Rin said. “Masamoto-sama was captured after Komoda beach. It’s always nice to know someone when you’re in a cage.”

“Was anyone else there?” Yuna said hurriedly. “A young man, scruffy beard, a blacksmith.”

Rin’s eyebrows rose, and he looked to be thinking.

“There was one, Rin-san,” Masamoto said. “In the last group, the one they took to Azamo.”

“Azamo?!” Yuna said sharply.

“Yuna,” Jin tried to soothe her. “It’s ok, we’ll work something out.”

Yuna didn’t answer, just spurred Neko on and clenched her jaw.

Jin’s mind began to drift to Mongol he’d killed, conflicting feelings floating around, his uncle’s voice and Yuna’s fighting with each other. His wounds throbbed, his head felt heavy, and sitting up became hard work.

“Stay strong, Jin,” Masamoto said gently from his place behind Jin. “Nearly there.”

Jin’s eyes flickered open, catching sight of a fire and a plume of smoke in the darkness.

“Who goes there?!” A shout rang out.

“It’s me, Haru,” Rin said tiredly.

“Rin-sama?!” The young man said, helping Rin down from Neko. “We… we thought you were dead!”

“Clearly not,” Rin said sharply.

“Did you find food?” Asked another man around the fire.

“No, none.”

“You’re bleeding Rin-sama,” Haru said, gesturing to a red patch spreading on Rin’s ribs.

“Tora,” Rin said tiredly, letting Haru lead him to the fire. “Find mats for these three to sleep on.” He turned to Yuna. “We’ll talk about your brother when we’ve slept.”

A tall, slim man dug around in a pile near the fire and found three sleeping mats, which he dumped unceremoniously near the fire.

“It’s not much,” he said softly to Jin. “But there’s enough of us that you’ll be safe to sleep.”

“Thank you,” Jin said.

Jin removed his _daishō,_ setting them next to him. He heard the others settle on their mats too, and drifts of conversation from Rin and the other Straw Hats, but his eyes were already growing heavy, and he slipped into sleep as soon as his head hit the mat.

***

Late-morning sunlight was filtering through the trees when Jin woke. Straw Hats milled around the fire, poking a pot that didn’t seem to have much in it from the hollow clang it made. Jin sat up, stretching and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Lord Sakai!” Tora said, coming over to him with a steaming cup. “We were starting to worry, Lady Yuna said you’d been injured, do you need help?”

Jin’s head reeled from the barrage of concepts that’d been thrown at him. “I’m alright,” he said, voice still rough from sleep. He gratefully accepted the cup of green tea Tora handed him, climbing up from the sleeping mat. “Have you had any trouble from the Mongols?”

Tora shook his head. “None my lord, I think you must have lost them in the woods.”

Jin smiled, and he was pleased to see Tora smile too. “That’s good at least,” he said, sipping his tea.

Tora looked glumly at the pot on the fire. “I’m sorry my lord, we don’t have any food for you. I can get you some more tea, if that would help.”

 _Food_. The word sparked something in Jin’s mind.

“Rin-san mentioned something about food last night,” he said slowly. “Is there a problem there, can I help?”

Tora shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

“We have no food,” said another Straw Hat. “We left everything before Komoda, and the Mongols seem to have managed to drive every edible animal from the area.”

“I saw them leave a trail of deer going back to the camp,” a third said angrily. “And a fox.”

Jin’s jaw tightened at the thought. He’d always liked animals, but foxes had always been his favourite. “Mongol dogs…” he spat angrily.

There was a general grumble of agreement at this. Jin was about to press the Straw Hats for more details, but a sharp voice called out behind him.

“Sakai!”

Jin turned to see Masamoto striding towards him, a jaunty smile on his stern face.

“We were wondering when you were going to wake up,” he said. “Yuna wanted to talk to you before she left.”

Jin’s head snapped up. “She _left_?”

Masamoto nodded, “She spoke with Rin this morning, apparently she has a friend nearby who she’ll get to help her.”

“Where nearby?” Jin asked urgently.

“I don’t know,” Masamoto admitted. “Rin might though.”

“Where is he?”

Tora pointed before Masamoto could reply. “His private camp is through there, Lord Sakai.”

Jin smiled at the young man, bowing politely. “Thank you, Tora-san. And thank you for the tea, it was delicious.”

Tora blushed, but returned the bow deeply. “You’re welcome, Lord Sakai, anything we can do to help.”

Jin returned to collect his swords, ignoring the sniggers behind him and the mocking repeats of ‘anything we can do to help’. He slipped the swords into his _obi_ as he padded around the camp and through the narrow gap.

Rin sat in _sieza_ , gazing out at the treetops beneath the sharp drop. His own katana sat by his knees, but he ran his hands over Kōta’s _daishō_.

“Rin-san?” Jin called softly, not wanting to startle him.

Rin’s head whipped around, one hand already drawing Kōta’s katana. They locked eyes for a moment, and Jin saw something oddly familiar in the older man’s gaze, but before he could think about it too much the look was gone.

“Didn’t Lord Shimura teach you not to sneak up on people, Sakai?” Rin said sharply.

Jin’s temper flared, but he pushed it down. “I’m sorry, Rin-san,” he said, bowing.

Rin glared a moment longer, before nodding. “Yuna left this morning, she has a friend who can help her save her brother.”

Jin nodded. “Masamoto told me. Do you know where?”

“Just south of Azamo, she said follow the smell of sakē.”

Jin smiled sadly at the thought of sakē. He remembered how he and Ryuzo would share it, sitting in the little glade by the hotspring, his head on Ryuzo’s shoulder, Ryuzo’s arm around his waist.

“I’d like some sake right now,” he said aloud.

Rin didn’t reply, and when Jin looked over to him he was running his hand over Kōta’s sword again. He looked up to Rin’s eyes, and he saw the same grief he felt for Ryuzo. Rin’s eyes hardened for a moment, but he seemed to recognise that Jin had seen.

“He commissioned this sword for me,” he said softly, running a hand over the auburn _saya_ of his own _daishō_. “My first sword broke fighting bandits. He saved his share of contracts for two years to commission it.”

Jin didn’t really know what to say, but his mind drifted to the first haiku Ryuzo had written him, still at the bottom of his chest in Omi, with all the little trinkets he’d found or made or bought over the years.

“You and Kōta,” he began. “How… how long were you…”

“24 years,” Rin said distantly. “He looked at me the same way Ryuzo looks at you.”

“So you did know?”

Rin looked at him like that was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. “Of course we knew. Kōta said it was sweet.”

Jin didn’t reply, reflecting on the past four years of kisses and comfort and nights falling asleep in Ryuzo’s arms. To lose that now felt like someone had torn his insides out, to lose 24 years had to be unbearable.

“You want my advice, Sakai?” Rin said sharply.

Jin nodded, though it seemed like he would have gotten it either way.

“You still have your man. Stop moping and do what you have to do to get him back.”

Jin swallowed, pressing his lips together, but he nodded anyway.

“What will you do?” He asked after a pause.

Rin looked back out over the forest. “I’m going to find enough food to feed my men. Then we’ll see.”

Jin thought for a moment. “Come with me to Azamo,” he said.

Rin looked at him like he’d taken leave of his senses.

“It’s by the coast, there’ll be fish for your men. And at least there should be boar there to hunt. If we can retake the farms there, there will be rice. And then, when your men are fed, we can retake Castle Kaneda, free Lord Shimura, and retake our home.”

Rin snorted derisively. “Kōta said you’d be an optimist. Do you have any idea how hard just _getting_ the Straw Hats to Azamo will be?”

“What else can you do?”

“I’m a resourceful man, Sakai.”

“And Lord Shimura can help you. We can avenge Kōta, and all the samurai who fell at Komoda.”

Rin narrowed his eyes at him for a moment, tensing his jaw.

“Fine,” he said sharply. “ _If_ we get to Azamo, and if we get fed there, I’ll think about it.”


	11. A Mongol Cart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back!  
> As you may have noticed (assuming anyone still regularly reads this fic), I took a very extended break. I would blame college but honestly it's mostly writers block and a complete lack of motivation/loss of momentum. Honestly, I think that lack of motivation really shows in this chapter and I may take it down for editing at some point in the coming days, but for right now I'm just happy to have fought through my writers' block.  
> As an aside, I think I might have to retcon my own story (my own fault for giving concrete numbers), because I said the Straw Hats had 27 men, which if we take Ryuzo's in-game comment about being down by half loosely means there's about 15, but given the number we see in-game there must be more than that. Can you tell I've been playing the game to get myself back into the mood?  
> Anyway, as always thank you for reading, leave any questions, comments or suggestions in the comments and hopefully I'll be back slightly quicker than I was last time!

Chapter 11

A Mongol Cart

The boar stood in a clearing, snuffling at the ground nearby. Jin waited in the pampas grass nearby, one hand on the hilt of his sword and his eyes fixed on the boar. He knew that somewhere nearby, Tora waited with an arrow knocked.

Among the sounds of the forest, a faint creak of wood preceded the twang of a bowstring and the thump of an arrow in flesh. The boar’s squeals attracted its fellows, who charged into the clearing looking for the assailants. A second creak, a second twang, a second thump, and the second boar fell. Jin heard Tora draw his bow again, but the third boar was sharper than his friends. He turned towards Tora and charged, tusks down. In his haste though, he didn’t see Jin waiting, and before the thing noticed he was there, Jin’s katana sliced through his neck.

The two men paused for a moment, listening for any more sounds of wildlife, but none came. Tora was the first to move, creeping from behind the tree to approach the boars’ corpses.

“It’s a shame we had to kill the third,” he said as Jin followed him. “We won’t be able to carry them all back to camp. Poor thing will go to waste.”

“We can come back for it,” Jin said, slipping an arm under the boar and hoisting it onto his shoulder. His wounds protested as he stood, but only a little.

Tora grunted in agreement, scooping up the next closest one and slung it over his back. The woods were quiet as they walked, and the only sound was their breathing, heavy from the exertion.

A cheer went up from the gathered Straw Hats when they appeared in the camp with fresh meat, two men taking the boar from them before they even reached the fire.

“I’ll go back for the other one,” Jin told Tora, seeing the young man swaying slightly on his feet. “You stay here and rest.”

“Thank you, Lord Sakai,” Tora replied, pulling himself up tall. “but I’m fine.”

Jin smiled sadly, suddenly reminded of Ren on Komoda Beach. Wordlessly, Jin turned back the way they’d come, and they retraced their steps. The boar’s corpse was still where they’d left it, and the woods were eerily silent as they returned to camp. Near the road across from camp, Tora suddenly stopped, and held his hand up to Jin.

“Look,” he mouthed, pointing ahead.

Just up the slope, a cart trundled slowly along the road, a band of Mongols surrounding it.

“Dogs,” Jin hissed quietly, trying to set the boar down. It tugged at his stitches and he dropped it harshly.

He wasn’t sure if it was the words or the boar that the Mongol at the head of the patrol heard, but he stopped, suddenly, and the wagon ground to a halt.

“Ter yuu baisan be?” He called back to the patrol.

“Shit,” Jin breathed. “Too many of them.”

The Mongol dismounted his horse, peering into the grasses. Jin flattened himself into the grasses, but Tora drew his sword and charged, his _kiai_ echoing among the empty woods. Jin swore and ran after him. A Mongol made to dismount his horse but Jin had already cut the animal’s throat. It fell and spasmed frantically, trapping the man beneath it as Jin pierced his skull. The Mongol to his left carried a spear, and Jin had to duck inside its arc to slice through the man’s throat.

A cry caught Jin’s attention and he turned to see Tora flying through the air, a huge Mongol bearing an axe advancing on him. Jin rushed forward as the man raised his axe over Tora’s body, taking his leg off at the knee. He ignored the man’s screams, hardly aware of what was around him. His world focussed on the next Mongol’s shield, which he knocked aside with a huge blow and stabbed him through the chest, then parried the spear of the man beside him, slamming him into the cart and slicing his katana through his gut. It was only when he turned to face the next man, that he realised there wasn’t one, just the whimpering brute crawling away from him. He put the man out of his misery, and made his way over to Tora.

“Are you alright?” Jin asked him, helping him up.

Tora nodded, his face white. “My lord…” he said, staring at the bloodied bodies, and Jin’s bloodstained clothes and face. “You… I’ve never seen anyone fight like that before.”

Jin turned to look at the shieldman, collapsed on the ground, the wound across his stomach neat and precise. It hadn’t felt neat or precise at the time.

“Let’s check the cart,” he said, to avoid answering Tora’s statement.

Within the cart were bundles of supplies and baskets of fruit, even a few gourds of sakē.

“We have to take this back to camp,” Tora said, grabbing as much as he could carry. “Are you sure you can take the boar, my lord?”

“I’m sure,” Jin said, returning to the corpse and hoisting it onto his shoulder. His ears briefly rang and his vision blurred, but he summoned his resolve and set out towards Tora.

“What happened to _you_ two?” One of the Straw Hats said as they arrived.

“Is that rice?!” Another cried.

“We ambushed a cart,” Tora said, depositing the supplies near the fire. “There are still some supplies in it, this is all we could carry. There’s even some sakē.”

A loud cheer sounded from the men, and Rin came over to see what the commotion was.

“You two,” he said sharply, when Tora had filled him in. “Go to the cart and bring the rest back, and see if there’s anything in their pockets too. And you two,” he said, pointing to Tora and Jin, “rest. We’ll eat well tonight.”

Jin deposited the boar by two men who were cleaning the others that they’d brought back.

“Can I help?” He asked as he straightened up.

“No, thank you, my lord,” the older looking of the two said. “You’ve done plenty today. Please, rest.”

 _You’ve hardly done anything_. Jin thought to himself, but he thanked the Straw Hats and sat by the fire.

As the sun began to set, rice hissed into the pot, followed by water, and then it was hung over the fire, the skewered pork next to it. Jin sat beside Masamoto, watching the preparations.

“I hope you haven’t torn any of your stitches,” he said, smiling slightly. “Yuna would have your head.”

Jin chuckled weakly, but his mind was wandering. Masamoto frowned, looking concerned.

“Are you alright? You’re not normally this quiet.”

“I’m fine,” Jin said quickly, without really thinking about it. “Thinking about the sakē after dinner.”

Masamoto laughed, full and loud, at that. “I think most of us are thinking about that,” he said. “How did you take down an entire garrison with just two of you?”

“I...” Jin trailed off for just a moment, trying to recall the slightly foggy events. “I used what my Uncle taught me,” he finished, hoping that Masamoto would believe his explanation.

For a moment it looked as though Masamoto would argue, but they were saved from the discussion by Rin striding over and settling himself opposite them.

“Half of us will be leaving in the morning.” He said shortly. “We’ll bring enough food for a few days and come with you to Azamo Bay. The other half will stay here for a few days, to recover their strength, then join us. Assuming we’re alive.”

“That sounds wise,” Masamoto said, before Jin could add anything. “Who’s coming with us?”

Rin rattled off a list of names, Jin noted that Tora’s was amongst them, but a lot of them slipped through his mind. A Straw Hat brought over a steaming bowl of rice and a few cubes of pork, and the men ate in silence.

As night cloaked the woods, Rin allowed them to break into some of the sakē gourds, and they spent a while just sipping rice wine and watching the stars come out. Jin settled down to sleep early into the night, the sounds of the fire and the men lulling him into a dream about Ryuzo bound on a Mongol cart, with Jin slaying endless soldiers to get to him.


	12. Dars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop, hello! I think I'm finally getting back into my groove, and this chapter is one I've been looking forward to for a while, so I hope you enjoy it!  
> As always, thank you for reading, don't forget to leave a comment or a kudos if you feel like it (I always get a little jolt of serotonin when I get an email that someone has left one!) and have a wonderful day/night!

Chapter 12

Dars

The roads around Azamo were thick with smoke and corpses. The Straw Hats kept off the roads as much as possible, even going against Jin’s instincts to attack the Mongol patrols unless there was a civilian at risk. It was dusk when they saw the house in the clearing, reeking of sakē and smoke.

“Stay here,” Jin told the others. “We can’t risk spooking Yuna.”

Rin snorted, but directed his men to find space in the forest to settle. Sora trotted happily into the clearing, and Yuna turned at his hoofbeats.

“Jin, you made it!” She said as he dismounted. She stood in front of a nervous looking man, who seemed to be the main source of the sakē stink.

“Lord Sakai,” the man said, bowing. “My name is Kenji, renowned sakē brewer, and upstanding merchant!” He beamed and puffed himself up, even as Yuna snorted derisively.

“And the biggest swindler on the island,” she finished.

“That was one time!” Kenji said, somehow sounding pleading and dismissive at the same time.

“I had to watch my back. For a month!”

Jin looked between them, trying to gauge the mood before he spoke. “And you know a way into Azamo Bay?” He said after a moment.

“Ehhhh, of sorts, my lord,” Kenji said, passing his fingers through each other, nervously. “But Azamo, it’s a fortress, packed with Mongols-”

“It’s the only way to save Taka,” Yuna cut him off sharply.

“I love the kid, but even once you’re in there…”

“You owe me Kenji.” Yuna’s tone brooked no argument.

Jin saw Kenji’s face change from nervous to resigned. “Alright,” he sighed. “But I’m telling you, this is a bad idea.”

Kenji led them to a cart on the nearby road, and hefted a barrel down from the back of it. “The Mongols will be expecting their delivery of sakē any time now,” he explained, starting to smile again now he could explain his cleverness. “Dars!” He called in a terrible Mongolian accent, chuckling at his own joke. “Only this delivery will be a little light on sakē. Just light enough for two heavily armed warriors to slip in, completely undetected! Clever, huh?” Kenji beamed at him in a way that made Jin want to agree.

“You’re… you’re selling sakē to the Mongols?” Jin asked, horrified.

“They _do_ love my sakē.”

“Your sakē tastes like piss, Kenji.” Yuna said, and Jin couldn’t quite tell if she was joking.

“Buuuuut, the Mongols like it! And while they’re drunk, I get to keep my head, and their money. It’s a win-win!”

“Oh just put us in the barrel,” Yuna said sharply, already climbing in.

Jin squeezed himself in with her, almost choking on the sour, stale sakē smell.

“Fucking hell,” he hissed as the world tipped and he felt Kenji hoist them both into the cart. “Won’t they search this Kenji?”

“Not anymore,” Kenji said triumphantly, and Jin could hear the grin in his voice. “Ok, off we go!”

The cart moved off with a jerk, bouncing them around inside the barrel. From their barrel they could only guess where they were by the sounds around them, mostly Kenji singing a filthy song about a woman and a tentacle, and the bouncing and turns of the cart. Suddenly, the song stopped and so did the cart.

“You!” A thick voice called. “Stop!”

“Dars!” Kenji called back. “Dars for Azamo Bay!”

They didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, though there was screaming and faint Japanese from nearby. Suddenly the cart jerked again, and they kept moving.

“Not much further,” Kenji said, sounding relieved.

In the darkness of the barrel, Jin was relieved too, starting to feel nauseous from the sickly smell and the constant motion. They halted again, not long after, and there was some shouting in Mongolian before they moved again.

“Shit…” Kenji said after a moment. “Someone must have pissed off the Mongols, they’ve torched half the town.”

Jin felt the cart pull up, and then the barrel was moved and the top levered off. Jin took in their surroundings, in the shadows of a burnt building.

“This is where we part ways,” Kenji said, rolling the barrel into the bushes. “Most of the prisoners are over that way, I’ll keep the Mongols drunk and distracted, but you’re on your own from here.”

“Stay safe, Kenji,” Jin said softly, and the merchant looked at him, surprised.

“You too, Lord Sakai. I’ll meet you at the crossroads east of town, but if you’re not there by dawn I’m going to assume the Mongols killed you.”

And with that, he loaded his cart and moved off. Jin and Yuna remained crouched in the shadows of the building a moment longer before slipping into a patch of tall grass nearby, looking into the main street. A large soldier stood in the light of the fire, several Japanese women kneeling before him. They watched as he took one by the jaw, turning her head side to side in the firelight. He shook her free loosely, and turned to one of the guards and nodded. As he moved off, Jin turned to Yuna.

“He must be a slaver,” he said softly. 

“Then he’ll lead us to Taka,” Yuna replied. “Up here, follow him.”

She hoisted herself effortlessly onto the roof of a nearby building, and Jin struggled to follow her.

“Remember,” she hissed as they scuttled over the roof and across to the next one. “We have to do this quietly, we can’t let them know we’re here.”

“I know,” Jin replied, keeping an eye on his feet as they scurried over the thin top of a gate.

They kept their eyes on the Mongol slaver until he reached a small alley, where a Japanese man stood, flanked by guards.

“What you want?” The slaver said sharply.

“I’m a blacksmith,” the Japanese man began. “I can help you, repair your weapons.”

“I have blacksmith.”

“My work is better. The other blacksmith, he cheats you. His work is shoddy, and slow.”

The slaver tilted his head to one side, as though he were considering the idea.

“I take care of him. But you must prove yourself.”

And with that the Japanese man was dragged away. The Mongolian slaver strode across the courtyard toward an alley on the other side.

“Shit,” Yuna hissed, jumping over the roof and climbing over to the other side.

Jin followed and climbed over the apex just in time to see her step onto a washing line, stretched high between the buildings.

“Come on,” she hissed at him, running over the taut rope as though it were level ground.

“Yuna, I can’t do that!” Jin tried to reply, but it didn’t sound like she heard him.

Taking a deep breath, Jin looked down at the rope. It couldn’t be any wider than his thumb, there was no way he was going to be able to walk across that. Yuna’s red back was already at the other side, scrambling over the roof on the other side.

 _Just don’t look, Jin._ He told himself. _You’ve climbed trees since you could walk._

Stepping out into effectively open air was an odd experience, with climbing at least you felt connected to something, but here he might as well have nothing supporting him. Every step felt like it might tip him off into space. He tightened his core, trying to keep his upper body as balanced as possible and only move his feet. He saw Yuna disappear down below the roof line, and urged himself to go faster and get to her. As he did the line shifted just a little in the wind, and his feet went out from under him, sending him falling into the abyss.

Instinct alone helped him grab onto the rope as he fell, and he hurriedly hoisted his legs up to hook over the line before the Mongols saw his hakama flutter in the breeze, and that’s when it hit him.

 _Oh you idiot_. His brain supplied helpfully, and he quickly began to pull himself, and over hand, along the line. His abs burnt by the time he managed to clamber onto the next roof, but he saw Yuna a few houses along. Putting on a burst of speed, he raced across the rooves until he drew level with her. She was crouched atop a roof, staring at a shoji door on the other side of the street.

“He went in there a moment ago,” she said softly. “I think he’s talking to someone.”

There were indeed two shadows behind the shoji, the bulky shape of the slaver stood in front of a smaller shape, who nodded occasionally. They crouched there for a few minutes, and Jin was contemplating whether to suggest finding Taka by themselves when the shoji opened and the slaver re-emerged onto the street. He set off, and Jin and Yuna followed, skipping over the rooves and, on one nerve wracking occasion, having to hurry through the grasses behind a group of soldiers. They came back onto the rooftops just as the slaver stopped inside a small square, lined with cages. He strode to one on the near side of the square, a large key in his hand. A thin, tired cry came from the cage and thin man in yellow was dragged from the cage by his neck.

“Taka!” Yuna cried, jumping down from the roof.

Jin followed her, and the slaver looked up just in time for Yuna to ram her knife directly into his face. Jin took his katana to the man’s neck, just in case, and they both turned to the man on the ground.

“Yuna?” he whispered.

“I’m here,” Yuna said, lifting Taka into a brief hug. “We need to go, we’re getting you out of here.”

Taka tried to stand as Yuna pulled him up, but wobbled and nearly fell before Jin caught him.

“I’m sorry,” Taka said softly as they dragged him between them into the shadows. “I’ve been in there so long.”

“It’s alright,” Yuna said softly. “We’ll get you strong again.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” Jin asked, knowing there was no way they were going over the rooftops this time.

“There’s a gate nearby,” Taka said. “I can get there.”

They slipped through the shadows, pausing and praying whenever they heard a patrol. Not far from the square, the sound of war horns echoed through the streets.

“Looks like they found the slaver,” Jin said dryly and Yuna grabbed Taka, dragging him to his feet.

“We need to hide!” Taka pleaded. “They’ll find us.”

“No, we keep going,” Yuna insisted, breaking into a run.

Thankfully, adrenaline seemed to have kicked in because when Jin picked up the pace, Taka managed to keep up.

“It’s shut!” Yuna called as they approached the gate.

“Through that gap on the right!” Jin shouted back, dragging Taka as the man began to tire.

Yuna did, and as Jin shoved Taka through and climbed through himself, Taka’s legs gave out beneath him. Yuna bent to scoop him up, but Jin was already there, throwing Taka over his shoulders and charging up the road.

The hill wasn’t steep, but he was already tired, and only the threat of Mongol patrols kept him running. Taka panted, slung over Jin’s back, and they ducked into the tall grass as they heard hoofbeats coming from up the road.

“They’ll see us!” Taka hissed.

“Wait,” Jin said, peaking up from the grass. “It’s Masamoto!”

The tall, broad man leapt down from Sora’s back, Kenji just behind him on his piebald mare, a few Straw Hats bringing up the rear.

“Sounded like you needed the cavalry,” Masamoto said dryly.

“Where’s Rin?” Jin asked, hauling Taka to his feet and helping him atop Neko with Yuna before climbing up behind Masamoto.

“Other side of the woods,” Masamoto said, urging Sora forwards into a gallop. “He’ll meet us at the next cross roads.”

Mongol horns sounded back in Azamo Bay, but they faded quickly as the party road through the forest. They’d slowed to a trot when they saw Rin through the trees, a smudge of dawn staining the sky. Jin turned in the saddle around sunrise to see Taka asleep in his sister’s arms. His mind wandered to the others in the cages, whether they’d seen them rescue Taka, seen them leave them behind for the Mongols. He tightened his grip on the reins, swallowing shame.

“What is it?” Masamoto said, one hand going to his sword.

“Nothing,” Jin said quickly, sensing alarm go through the party. “Nothing, it’s fine.”

The Straw Hats looked around, still wary, but there was no sign of anything.

They rode well into the day, and the sun was high in the sky when Yuna spoke.

“We haven’t seen a Mongol since dawn,” she said softly. “I think we’re in the clear.”

“Everyone alright?” Masamoto asked.

There was a general murmuring of assent among the party.

“We need to plan,” Rin said. “Where can we go next?”

“There’s a place up ahead where we can see all of Izuhara,” Kenji supplied, then flinched slightly when Rin stared at him.

As they trotted up the slope, Jin turned to Taka.

“Taka?” He asked, gently. “Are you alright, you’ve been quiet?”

For a while it seemed like Taka hadn’t heard, but then he slowly turned to face Jin.

“For the first time in days, I haven’t felt like I was about to die.” He said softly.

Jin smiled, in what he hoped was a comforting way.

“My lords,” Taka began. “I’m grateful, but how do you know my sister, and Kenji?”

“I owe Yuna my life,” Jin replied.

Taka laughed nervously. “We have something in common there.”

The overlook was large and flat, shielded on two sides by high rocks. As they dismounted and settled themselves down to rest, Masamoto sat next to Jin.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

Jin sighed, chewing on his lip, just as his uncle had told him not to do. “In Azamo Bay,” he began. “There were others there, being held as slaves.”

Masamoto’s face grew grave. “It is the Mongol way, so I’m told,” he turned to look out over the forests below. “You want to go back in there, to help them?”

Jin nodded. “I can’t just leave them to those bastards. We owe it to our people to protect them.”

Masamoto nodded. “You’re right. But you can’t go in there alone. I’ll come with you.”

“Where are you going?”

The two men jumped at the voice behind them. Yuna sat next to them, still waiting for an answer.

“Back to Azamo Bay,” Jin said. “The others, in the cages. I can’t just leave them.”

Yuna looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Taka and I are going to Komatsu forge, according to Rin it’s still safe there. You should tell him about this plan, he might want to come.”

Jin nodded, standing up and walking over to where Rin was untacking his horse.

“Rin-san, do you have a moment?”

Rin’s eyes flickered up from his task momentarily. “What do you need, Sakai?”

“I’m going back to Azamo Bay,” Jin said simply.

“And what do you want me for?”

“I thought you might want to join us.”

“Us?”

“Lord Masamoto and I. There’s people we left behind in there. They need our help.”

Rin looked at him for a moment, calculating, then he nodded. “You have a good heart, Sakai. I’ll come, but don’t expect me to convince my men to join us.”

“Of course not, Rin-san,” Jin said. “Thank you.”

“I’ll find you when I’m ready, we’ll discuss plans then.”

**Author's Note:**

> So for the duel, a lot of my sources came from modern Kendo contests. I have no idea if this is actually a valid source to use for the way official duels were done, but I mean write what you know.
> 
> Key Words:
> 
> Kamon = a family crest, like the twin mountains on Clan Sakai's banner.  
> Himo = the ties used to hold various articles of clothing, such as the hakama and modern day Kendo armour, on.  
> Mokusou = a call to meditate. Yame! means stop, and so mokusou yame is the call to stop meditating.  
> Shiaijo = the 'duelling circle'. In kendo, the duel or contest is called a shiai, and -jo indicates a place where something happens (i.e. do-jo, the place where an art is practiced)  
> Suburi = a technique used in kendo as a warm up where you move the sword to various heights to warm up your shoulders for the cuts and get you in the zone for your timing. Haya-suburi is just normal suburi but faster.  
> Rei = the call to bow. In kendo, you bow on entering the shiaijo, and then again to your opponent.  
> Kissaki = the tip of the sword.  
> Hajime = The call to start a bout.  
> Ki = life force/spirit. Some people say when you're in the correct 'zone' for fighting, you can feel your ki. Interestingly, the shouts you'll hear through the game are actually called kiai, and it's an expression of your spirit.  
> Maki-Waza = literally 'winding technique', it's a technique in kendo where you sort of whip your sword around your opponents and, if you do it right, flick the sword right out of their hands.
> 
> Sorry for all the terminology, but I hope this helps!


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